Health claims will be at the top of the business agenda for food companies this year as the European Union (EU) is soon expected to adopt a first list of generic health claims allowed for use, according to international food policy expert EAS.



Commenting on the potential adoption of a Commission Regulation establishing a list of permitted Article 13.1 health claims in the next few months, EAS regulatory affairs manager Stefanie Geiser said that food companies must focus on how to benefit from this process and how to offset possible challenges.
 
“With so many aspects of the claims regulation still being implemented and under discussion it is difficult for companies to get the concrete advice they need to be able to successfully and sustainably market their products in the EU,” said Ms. Geiser. “At the same time companies need to be planning now their business strategies, and it is important that they correctly interpret the legislation so [they] can plan around the predicted outcomes.”
 
EAS will host a workshop on surviving the claims regulation in Brussels on March 8th, led by Ms. Geiser and fellow expert Patrick Coppens, titled “Claims: Dealing with the present, planning for the future.”
 
The workshop, which is limited to 25 participants, will cover the advantages and pitfalls that exist for companies, and opportunities and threats to be aware of when the regulation is implemented in its entirety in the near future.
 
Mr. Coppens and Ms. Geiser will also advise participants on how to introduce successful claims applications to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), how to deal with the practical day-to-day issues unearthed by the regulation in terms of marketing and product development of foods and food supplements, give advice on proprietary data protection and explained the interplay of the claims regulation with other regulations.