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Nutrition and Health Claims legislation

Nutrition and Health Claims

EU and national legislation as well as links to guidance documents about acceptable health claims.

  • EU legislation

    Corrigendum (OJ L 12, p3, 18/01/2007) to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (OJ L 404, p9, 30.12.2006) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods

    Amended by

  • Implementing Rules
    • Commission Regulation (EC) No 353/2008 (OJ L 109, p11, 19.04.2008) of 18 April 2008 establishing implementing rules for applications for authorisation of health claims as provided for in Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council
    • Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (OJ L 136, p1, 25.05.2012) of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children’s development and health

    Amended by:

  • National legislation
    • European Communities (Nutrition and Health Claims made on Food ) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 11 of 2014)
    • European Union (Nutrition and Health Claims made on Food) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 243 of 2021)

  • General provisions

    General labelling provisions are contained in on the provision of food information to consumers. This legislation generally prohibits the use of information that would mislead the purchaser or attribute medicinal properties to food. This Regulation on nutrition and health claims complements the general principles in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 and lays down specific provisions concerning the use of nutrition and health claims concerning foods to be delivered as such to the consumer.

    There is a wide variety of claims currently used in the labelling and advertising of foods and under which has applied since the 1st July 2007, it is necessary to ensure that the substances for which a claim is made have been shown to have a beneficial nutritional or physiological effect. In order to ensure that the claims made are truthful, the substance that is the subject of the claim must be present (or in the case of a reduced claim present in suitably reduced quantities) in the final product in quantities that are sufficient to produce the nutritional or physiological effect claimed. The substance must also be available to be used by the body (bio available). In addition, and where appropriate, a significant amount of the substance producing the claimed nutritional or physiological effect should be provided by a quantity of the food that can reasonably be expected to be consumed.

    A nutrition or health claim may not be made if it is inconsistent with generally accepted nutrition and health principles or if it encourages or condones excessive consumption of any food or disparages good dietary practice.

    A list of permitted nutrition claims and their specific conditions of use is included in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006, examples of claims include claims such as low fat, fat free, sugars-free.