All the statements de healthy properties in food packaging they have always been a sensitive issue. First, the companies that have used insights misleading or confusing in their products in order to sell a food like "healthy" when it is not. This situation has led to a general lack of trust in the population. And, secondly, because of the controversy about the regulation of health claims. It is imperative that consumers take informed decisions to take care of your health We invite you to inform yourself!
What is a health claim?
Health claims are messages that inform the consumer about the relationship between a food category, a food, or one of its constituents, and health. In our country there are different types of health claims. General benefits, growth, development and bodily functions, psychological and behavioral functions, weight loss, reduction of the risk of disease and development and health of children. The denominations of the different categories already show a great responsibility the food companies and the State.
In other words, a product full of sugars cannot carry the phrase of "good for you" o "healthy". If the consumer cannot read the nutritional label you will not be able to know if it is truly healthy or not. For that reason health claims are regulated by law. However, there are some discrepancies about the effectiveness of the regulation. Mainly, for the minimum established by the regulatory regulations. In order for a food to use an authorized claim, it must contain the Present in several = 15% for the Minimum Recommended Daily Allowance (CMR).
That is, the recommended daily dose of Vitamin A is 80 mg. So, a food with 12 mg You can use any of the authorized claims for this vitamin. For example: "cell specialization," "normal function of the immune system," or "normal iron metabolism." Therefore, it is true that there is a regulation, but in many cases confused for the consumers. A product can carry 15% of the RDA of any type of vitamin, either naturally or added, but be high in sugar or saturated fat, for example.
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A Study on Authorized Claims: Health Claims Unpacked
El EIT Food (European Institute of Innovation and Technology for Food) is an institute supported by the European Union and formed by very prestigious universities in the academic field. The institution carries out a multitude of projects. Its main objective is to make the food system more sustainable, healthy y trustworthy. One of his latest research, the project Health Claims Unpacked, has been very useful for both consumers as for the researchers.
It is a digital tool to improve the communication of health claims. According the country, the language and the gastronomic culture German consumers can give one meaning to a statement and Romanians can give it a totally different one. Therefore, companies must adapt to each country in which they market their products. The objective of this tool is to help companies communicate better. As well as, improve consumer understanding.
Can you read a nutrition label?
The nutrition label is key to knowing the actual nutritional values of a product. Since 2016 all foods (with certain exceptions) must carry it by obligation. In this way, the consumer can compare the nutritional quality of several similar products and choose the healthiest option. The problem is that not everyone can read and understand the parameters of a nutrition label. The gobierno along with the AECOSAN (Spanish Agency for Consumption, Food Safety and Nutrition) have created a website available to the consumer to learn to read labels.
The EIT Food initiative is a good alternative to improve the food system. However, we ourselves must handle certain information to know what is healthy and what is not. We should not ignore the information presented on the nutrition label. We must read and understand it carefully. We must be aware of what we eat and what benefits it will bring us to our health. And you, what do you think? Information is power!
