Fiona Lalor

Health claims regulations: Comparison between USA, Japan and European Union

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and compare the scientific and regulatory environments for nutrition and health claims on foodstuffs in the USA, Japan and the European Union.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature and the relevant legislation in the three different countries is conducted. Regulations are reviewed and scientific evidence requirements are outlined in each country.Findings – Full regulatory approval for claims across all three countries requires the support of robust scientific evidence. To obtain this, companies must submit comprehensive dossiers and detailed applications to the regulators with full descriptions of the tests and studies completed during product development. However in the USA and Japan, an alternative process exists. A health claim that is suggested but not supported by scientific evidence is known as a qualified health claim and is permitted in the USA and Japan, but not in the EU.Practical implications – The paper demonstrates the differe...

Consumer views on “healthier” processed meat

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer attitudes towards and interest in enriching processed meat with healthy ingredients (“functional processed meat”). Design/methodology/approach – Seven focus groups across age and gender were conducted. Discussions were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Findings – Strategies that participants felt as important for improving the healthiness of processed meat mainly included the use of better quality meat and less salt, fat, preservatives and other additives. “Functional processed meat” was a new concept for participants. Four themes were constructed to reflect participants’ attitudes towards functional processed meat: opposing views on processed meat as a carrier of healthy ingredients; belief in the health benefits of functional processed meat; perceived value of functional processed meat for different consumer groups; and trust and perceived risk surrounding the functional food concept. A large proportion of the participants were ...

Consumer preferences towards healthier reformulation of a range of processed meat products: A qualitative exploratory study

In response to increasing public health concerns about processed meat consumption, many innovations in meat technology focus on health-oriented product reformulations. Processed meat is not a homogeneous food category. The purpose of this paper is to explore consumer perception of the “healthier” reformulation of different processed meat products using two approaches: salt and fat reduction; and enrichment with healthy ingredients.,Seven focus group interviews were carried out with 40 Irish regular meat consumers (30 female, ten male) who were solely or jointly responsible for food shopping. Two rounds of card sorting procedures were employed to reveal perceptions on reformulation of 20 different processed meat products. Thematic analysis was used for analysing transcripts.,Health and flavour concerns and product popularity were the main factors influencing participants’ perceptions. Some participants were unsure or had misconceptions about the healthiness of certain meat products. Participants suggested reducing salt and fat content in processed meat products they perceived as the least healthy ones (theme 1) and improving the healthiness of products which were favoured by children (theme 2) and those meat products which people consumed regularly as a source of protein (theme 3). Participants were not in favour of any reformulation of speciality-type products (theme 4).,Consumer insights identified in this study can inform future approaches to making processed meats healthier.

Making and justifying health claims

The regulatory hurdles that exist to bring a functional food to market often prove the greatest challenge for the food industry. Different regulatory approaches exist worldwide, with the European Union having one of the tightest regimes of all. EU Regulation 1924/2006 sets out the framework for nutrition and health claims, and the system has been slow at approving claims. In recent years, the European Food Safety Authority has published Guidance Notes to aid industry with the application process. However, among other things, the fact that not one probiotic has received approval has left the food industry critical of the system. It is likely that an approval pattern will emerge in the future, and once the pathway to approval identified, the industry will emerge stronger and with more integrity than before.