Moving in high spirits towards crystal clear alcoholic beverage information
Posted: April 7, 2018 Filed under: Authors, Food, Information Comments Off on Moving in high spirits towards crystal clear alcoholic beverage information
Last month, the European alcoholic beverages sectors handed over to the European Commission a self-regulatory proposal on the provision of nutrition information and ingredients listing. Article 16(4) of the Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation exempts alcoholic beverages containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol from the mandatory list of information and nutrition declaration. Nevertheless, it also attributes the Commission with the task to investigate whether and to what extent alcoholic beverages should nevertheless be covered. Last year, the Commission established in its report, amongst others, that the provision of nutrition information and ingredients listing could help consumers to make informed choices about what and how much to drink. The alcoholic beverages sectors have been asked to present a self-regulatory proposal to respond to consumers’ expectations as they have done last month.
In their proposal, the alcoholic beverages sectors elaborate on the details on the communication of the nutrition information, the list of ingredients, and the means of delivering this information to consumers. The sectors aim to provide consumers with meaningful information while preventing to create new burdens for SMEs. In this blog we give a short overview of the proposal, which should be read together with the sector-specific annexes for beer, cider, spirits and wine that allow for sector-specific implementation of the proposal.
According to the FIC Regulation, nutrition information must be given per value of 100 ml of the product and may additionally be provided per portion size. Nutrition information involves the energy value and the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt, but may also be limited to the energy value only. The spirit sector emphasizes in its annex that it is most meaningful for consumers to provide the information in portion size and adds that the energy value per 100 ml might be misleading, as spirits are never served in this quantity. To provide accurate nutrition information, food business operators may carry out analysis on their products or they can use generally established and accepted data. The alcohol beverages sectors stress the importance of the latter option due to the changing nature of certain alcoholic beverages as they age (wine) and depending on the harvest (e.g. cider). Moreover, said data will also reduce the burden for analysis by SMEs. The wine and spirits sector have already provided such a toolkit in their annexes to the proposal, using average values of typical and characteristic wines. For instance, 100 ml of brut, sparkling wine provides 70 kcal.
As for the list of ingredients, Article 20 of the FIC Regulation excludes food additives or food enzymes used as processing aids from this list. The wine sector specifies that this means that only additives permitted for wine-making not considered processing aids during the wine-making process shall be included in the list of ingredients. Moreover, the sector notes that natural substances used to adjust the grape composition (acidity and natural sugar content) do not have to be listed; those substances only aim to restore the basic balance and composition where harvest conditions are not optimal. The wine annex is already rather concrete in the sense that it shows in its appendix I a list of oenological compounds that, when used, will have to be included in the list of ingredients.
Lastly, the proposal embraces new information and communication technologies to inform the consumer on the nutrition declaration and list of ingredients. This is in line with recital 51 of the FIC Regulation, according to which food information rules should be able to adapt to, amongst others, a rapidly changing technological environment. Next to traditional on label information, off-label information that can be accessed via a web-link, QR code, bar code or other direct means of using smart technologies are suggested in the proposal. The wine sector refers in its annex for example to the website of ‘Wine in Moderation’ as a tool to comply with labeling requirements by off-label means. The alcoholic beverages sectors propose to leave it up to the food business operators how to display the information.
The alcoholic beverages sectors commit themselves to report on implementation in March 2021. The proposal will now be assessed by the Commission. Green light will allow for high spirits to make information on alcoholic beverages crystal clear. However, all four sectors (beer, cider, spirits and wine) must be working hard on more concrete implementation guidelines that can be used by their member companies, who have to do the actual job. For the time being, the wine and spirits sector so far have elaborated the most concrete proposals. We will continue to monitor and report on further developments in this field.
Nutrition & cognition – how to communicate on innovative food products in this particular field?
Posted: December 13, 2017 Filed under: Authors, Food, Food Supplements, Health claims, Information Comments Off on Nutrition & cognition – how to communicate on innovative food products in this particular field?
Consumers across all demographics are increasingly concerned about cognitive health and performance. For that reason, Food Matters Live, held in London from 21 – 23 November last, dedicated one of its Seminars to the exploration of new R&D advancing the understanding of nutrition and cognitive health and performance. I was asked to give a presentation on meeting standards for cognitive claims, of which you will find a summary below. You will note that in addition to the system of currently authorised claims, I will explore its flexibility, as well as the options outside its scope.
FIC Regulation
The general framework for health claims is contained both in the FIC Regulation and in the Claims Regulation. The FIC Regulation embodies the principle of fair information practises. According to this principle food information should not be misleading as to the characteristics of the food, for example by attributing it effects it does not possess. Furthermore, the FIC Regulation prohibits any medical claims to be made in connection with food products. A medical claim is to be understood as any claim targeting the prevention or treatment of a particular disease. It is for instance not permitted to state that a food supplement alleviates the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Claims Regulation
The Claims Regulation lays down the very concept of a health claim, being a voluntary message in any form that states or suggests that a food has particular characteristics. Basically, a health claims conveys the message “What does the product do?” Health claims can only be made with regard to a particular nutrient that has been shown to have a beneficial nutritional of physiological effect. Such nutrient should be present in the end product in a form that is bio available and to such extent that it produces the claimed effect. The scope of the Claims Regulation includes all commercial communications regarding food products to be delivered to the final consumer. Based on the Innova / Vital decision of the ECJ, it was clarified that such final consumer can also be a health care professional.
Legal framework for cognitive claims
Currently, authorised claims for cognition can be linked to iodine, iron and zinc. For all of these compounds, the claim “contributes to the normal cognitive function” can be made. In addition, for iodine the claim “contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system” is available and for iron a claim specifically targeting children can be made. The conditions of use for these claims are calculated on the reference intake (“RI”) applicable to each mineral. As such, a distinction is being made between solids (15 % RI) and fluids (7.5% RI). For instance, in order to allow a cognition claim linked to iron, the end product should at least contain 2.1 mg iron / 100 g or 1.05 mg / 100 ml. Any claim should refer to a food product ready for consumption, prepared in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Flexibility in wording
In practise, I see that many food business operators try to reword the authorised claims, as they are not considered to be a major add-on. In the Netherlands, this practise has been facilitated by the Council for the Public Advertising of Health Products (Keuringsraad KOAG-KAG), who has published a list of alternative, authorized claims. For instance, for a claim on zinc, the Dutch translation of the wording “contributes to a regular problem-solving ability” is permitted as an alternative. Regarding a claim on iodine, you could think of “plays an important role in mental activity.” Furthermore, it is also permitted to state that a food product containing the required minimum of iron “contributes to regular intelligence”. Now we are talking!
Examples found in practise
An internet search for products targeting cognition revealed that many of them are not linked to the EU authorized claims at all. For instance, the company Flora Health is marketing the food supplement ginkgo biloba, claiming that it “helps to enhance cognitive function and memory in an aging population.” Also, the food supplement Mind Focus containing various vitamins, minerals and green tea extract from the company Bio Fusion was found, which allegedly “improves mind focus and concentration instantly”. Furthermore, the green oat product Neuravena was found, regarding which five clinical studies confirm it benefits to cognitive function. How can this be explained? The first two examples contain claims that in the EU would no doubt qualify as medical claims and as such are prohibited.
Non-EU products and options outside cognitive claims framework
Products that do not comply with EU standards may originate from other countries or territories that are subject to a different regulatory regime than applicable in the EU. Without endorsing any claims made, it was found that the gingko and Mind Focus products originated from Canada and the US respectively. The same is not true for the product Neuravena, as its manufacturer Frutarom claims to be a “global manufacturer of health ingredients backed by the science, and supported with documentation and the regulatory compliance our customers demand.” The difference here is that Neuravena is not advertised on a commercial setting targeting end consumers, but in a scientific portal. The website even contains a disclaimer to that extent. In a non-commercial, purely scientific environment, the Claims Regulation is not applicable. This allows FBO’s, provided that the same website does not contain a click through ordering portal, to communicate on their R&D and cognition even outside the authorised EU framework.
Conclusion
The EU authorised claims for cognition are limited in number and scope. Several EU Member States offer considerable flexibility in wording, which makes the use of claims much more appealing. Furthermore, in a science-based context, the Claims Regulation is not applicable, which allows you plenty of opportunity to communicate your latest R&D on nutrition & cognition, provided that the message is strictly scientific and not commercial.
The EU Tofutown case – don’t mess around with dairy product names
Posted: July 31, 2017 Filed under: Authors, Enforcement, Food, Information Comments Off on The EU Tofutown case – don’t mess around with dairy product names
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) recently took its decision in the TofuTown case, providing clarity on the interpretation of the Agricultural Product Standards Regulation (APS Regulation). In short, this case dealt with the question: “Is it possible to use regulated product names for new product types?” The answer to this question is a clear “no”. This came as quite a shock to the emerging vegetarian and vegan market. Many companies marketing alternative protein products use traditional product names for their dairy replacements. They may have to change these names, as they are no longer in line with the view of the highest EU Court.
Initiator: Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb
The TofuTown case was initiated by the German unfair competition association Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb (“VSW”). This activist organisation was also at the origin of the Innova Vital case, clarifying the scope of the EU Claims Regulation. Based on this decision, we now know that the Claims Regulations not only targets commercial communications addressing final consumers, but under certain circumstances, it also addresses communications made to health care professionals. VSW initiated the present case against the German company TofuTown, as it claimed the promotion of strictly plant-based products under denominations such as “Soyatoo Tofubutter”, “Pflanzenkäse” and “Veggiecheese” infringed the EU competition rules.
Main rule of Agricultural Product Standards Regulation
The legal framework of this dispute is constituted by the APS Regulation, containing detailed agricultural products definitions in various sectors, such as cereals, olive oil, wine, milk and milk products. The main rule following from the APS Regulation is that the names of regulated products may not be used for other products. TofuTown had argued, in essence, that this principle is outdated. In the past, such rule may have been justified to protect consumers against manufacturers distributing cheap products as dairy products, thereby gaining a competitive advantage. Nowadays, consumer awareness has changed considerably and many consumers want to be informed about alternatives to dairy products. Using regulated dairy names for plant-based alternatives is not meant to mislead consumers. Quite to the contrary, such use enables to inform the consumer on plant-based origin of their products as opposed to the animal derived dairy products they intend to replace. The ECJ did not agree with this argument. It is nevertheless worthwhile to investigate if any other argument could escape the strict product name regime embodied in the APS Regulation.
Room for manoeuvre in APS framework?
On the face of it, there is. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts concerning exemptions to the strict product definitions laid down in the APS Regulation, provided these shall be strictly limited to demonstrated needs resulting from evolving consumer demand, technical progress or the need for product innovation (see article 78.3 APS Regulation). Tofutown’s plea for informing consumers about plant-based alternatives to dairy products seems to fit in seamlessly in this derogation. However, for the time being, there is no such delegated act, so that it is worth while exploring if there any further exceptions to the strict product names principle embodied in the APS Regulation.
Composite products
In fact, two of these exceptions are being mentioned in the TofuTown case. In the first place, designations for milk products may also be used in association with words designating composite products. The condition precedent is that no part takes the place of any milk constituent. Furthermore, milk should also be the essential part of such composite product, either in terms of quantity or for the characterisation (see Annex VII belonging to the APS Regulation, in particular Part III, nr. 3 thereof). An examples of such composite product names is chocolate milk.
Traditional usage
Another exception to the system of strict product names relates in the first place to products the exact nature of which is clear from traditional usage. In the second place it covers designations that are clearly used to describe a characteristic quality of the product. The Commission has drawn up a limitative list of such product names that can be found here. Examples of such product names are the following:
- UK: horseradisch cream, cream crackers and coconut milk
- France: almond milk (lait d’amande) and oat cream (crême d’avoine)
- Spain: almond milk (leche de almendras)
- Netherlands: butter beans (boter bonen) and cacao butter (cacao boter)
This list has a highly cultural character and does not allow for translations of the product names mentioned therein into other Member States languages. As such, it would be prohibited to market almond milk in or any other EU country than France and Spain. The same goes for butter beans outside the Netherlands.
Practical consequences
It could be argued that names like “Tofubutter” and “Veggiecheese” are clearly used to describe a characteristic quality of the product. However, as long as they are not mentioned on the Commission exemption list, these cannot be legally used for marketing plant-based alternatives to dairy products. More in general, the practical consequences of the TofuTown decision are expected to bring about serious restrictions for marketing plant-based products. Is this to be considered a setback for the consumer or to the contrary, will this prevent any consumers being misled? In fact, this is besides the point, as based on this decision, the enforcement authorities, like the Dutch Food Safety Authority (“NVWA”) in the Netherlands, will be authorised to prohibit further use of strictly regulated product names for their vegetarian peers. It will be interesting to see though if any enforcement actions will take place based on the mere product name. And also, will this be in the interest of the educated consumers of today? That’s certainly not beside the point.
The US milk debate –what’s in a name?
Posted: April 11, 2017 Filed under: Food, Information | Tags: CAP Regulation, dairy, milk, misleading, Tofutown Comments Off on The US milk debate –what’s in a name?
Traditionally milk comes from cows or other animals such as goats. However, in recent decades, a large number of alternatives to traditional milk were introduced to the market. From a consumer perspective, these alternatives are similar to “traditional milk” in terms of purpose of use. These alternative food products are produced using plant-based protein derived from soy, coconut or other sources. There is an ongoing debate in the US regarding whether or not these ‘alternative milks’ are to be considered ‘milk’ and can be sold as such. This debate could be the precursor to a much more encompassing debate on whether alternative sources for traditionally produced foods from animal origin can be named after the product they are meant to replace, or rather marketed to be the plant based alternative for. This post will elaborate on this discussion, and will discuss the relevant EU framework and prejudicial questions in the Tofutown case pending at the Court of Justice of the European Union (“ECJ”)
The dairy controversy
The dairy controversy has arisen as more and more plant-based food companies are marketing their products as ‘milk’ (“Alternatives”), be it as almond milk or soymilk, but nonetheless as ‘milk’. In the US, the traditional dairy industry (mostly cow milk) has tried to stop the use of the word ‘milk’ for Alternatives, because, its representatives are of the opinion that the term is misleading when used to describe what are in fact Alternatives. This plea did not go unheard and the milk lobby, in combination with a number of lawmakers in the American congress, presented the draft Dairy pride act. The Dairy pride act limits the use of the term ‘milk’, to milk produced from animals (including products such as ‘traditional’ butter). In reaction, the NGO Good Food Institute filed a report claiming that the arguments presented by the traditional dairy industry are invalid. This NGO is of the opinion that no consumer is misled as long as the name of the product ‘milk’ is combined with the alternative source for the milk production. If, and when, the Dairy pride act will enter into force is still unclear.
EU landscape
If you think a similar regulation would be inconceivable in the EU, think again. In fact, in the EU a number of products have a legal definition included in marketing standards. The purpose of these legal definitions is to protect consumers against misleading and to create a level playing field for food business operators (“FBO’s”). For products such as honey, chocolate, and olive oil such legislation exists, which regulates the production process and name under which the product can be sold. In addition to such marketing standards mostly laid down in EU Directives, regulating single products or production chains, there is a general Regulation on agricultural production. This Regulation includes marketing standards for certain agricultural products.
CAP Regulation
Regulation 1308/2013 establishes a common organization of the markets in agricultural products (hereinafter: CAP Regulation). This regulation lays down production rules for particular agricultural products such as, but not limited to, wheat, wine, and several meat products. The CAP Regulation also applies to milk and milk derived products, and contains the following definition of milk:
‘”Milk” means exclusively the normal mammary secretion obtained from one or more milkings without either addition thereto or extraction therefrom.’
Apart from the product ‘milk’, Annex VII part 3 of the CAP Regulation reserves the following terms exclusively for milk products: whey, cream, butter, buttermilk etc. (the list contains 16 products traditionally produced using milk).
A strict interpretation of article 78.1 in combination with article 78.2 and Annex VII part III of the CAP Regulation would mean that the term ‘milk’ should only be used for milk products from animal origin. The norm does not contain an exception for plant-based alternatives. However, it is unclear whether milk can be used if it is combined with an explicit mention of the plant-based origin of the product such as soy. It can be argued that the Alternatives do not qualify as ‘milk’, and that, therefore, the Regulation does not apply to Alternatives. This precise issue is currently the subject of a the Tofutown case pending at the ECJ (C-442/16).
The Tofutown case
Tofu is made from soya beans. The German company TofuTown.com sells alternatives to butter and cheese from mammalian origin. The company markets their Tofucheese and Tofubutter as plant-based alternative to the traditional cheese and butter. Neither products contain any ‘milk’, and are marketed towards vegetarians and/or vegans who prefer plant-based alternatives for cheese and butter. The Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb (German Competition Authority) objected to the use of the words ‘butter’ and ‘cheese’ in the tofu products because, in their view, tofutown.com did not comply with the CAP Regulation as the products were not milk-based. The German court requested the answering of preliminary questions by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the interpretation of the above-mentioned rules regarding the product names. The following prejudicial questions were put forward:
- Can Article 78(2) of the CAP Regulation be interpreted as meaning that the definitions, designations and sales descriptions defined in its Annex VII need not satisfy the relevant requirements of this Annex if the relevant definitions, designations and sales descriptions are expanded upon by clarifying or descriptive additions (such as ‘tofubutter’ for a pure plant-based product)?
- Is Annex VII, Part III, point 1, to the CAP Regulation to be interpreted as meaning that the expression ‘milk’ is exclusively the normal mammary secretion obtained from one or more milkings without either addition thereto or extraction therefrom, or may the expression ‘milk’ — where necessary with the addition of explanatory terms such as ‘soya-milk’ — also be used in the marketing of plant-based (vegan) products?
- Is Annex VII, Part III, point 2, to the CAP Regulation, in conjunction with Article 78, to be interpreted as meaning that the descriptions listed in detail in point 2(a), such as, in particular, ‘whey’, ‘cream’, ‘butter’, ‘buttermilk’, ‘cheese’, ‘yoghurt’ or the term ‘cream’ etc., are reserved exclusively for milk products, or can pure plant-based/vegan products, which are produced without (animal) milk, also fall within the scope of Annex VII, Part III, point 2, to the CAP Regulation?
Misleading?
One of the core principles of food law, besides safety, is the principle that foodstuffs shall not mislead consumers. This ‘misleading argument’ is the main argument used by the dairy lobby in the US to justify the restriction of the use of the term ‘milk’ solely for milk from cows or other animals. We share the view of the Good food institute that the names would be misleading is not acceptable. No consumer is misled when buying an alternative plant based product such as ‘soy milk’, because the products are clearly marketed as alternative and the origin is mentioned in the product name and on the front of the pack, as well as in the legal name. However, we are of the opinion that labeling of these Alternatives should never be similar to traditional milk products, or carry pictures of cows or other animals that provide milk.
Precursor to bigger debate on plant-based alternatives
Milk is not the only product definition under scrutiny; the discussion is already spreading to meat products. Traditional food producers feel the heat from competitors producing Alternatives for their products. These Alternatives are not only suitable for vegetarians and vegans, but also for the mainstream consumer who could be concerned with the environmental impact of meat or perhaps is lactose intolerant. The Alternatives are plenty and range from the use of soy to algae or even insects to replace the traditional product. Many Alternatives have not only animal welfare in mind, but also sustainability.
Vegetarian Butcher
In the Netherlands the Vegetarian Butcher made headlines, because he used terms reserved for meat products for his vegetarian alternatives. Instead of waiting for a court to rule on the matter, the vegetarian butcher chose to change his terms slightly to avoid being penalized for using the wrong terms. To give an example, “gehakt” (mincemeat) became “gehacked”, which, in Dutch sounds the same, but formally has a different definition. The Vegetarian Butcher also published a statement on YouTube to clarify why he changed the product names. Perhaps this could be the solution for producers of alternatives for traditional animal derived products, in case the ruling of the CJEU is in favor of the traditional producers. Another idea would be to introduce the term ‘malk’ (‘a’ is derived from plant); ‘milk’ or milk products produced using plant-based sources.
Conclusion
A debate is ongoing in the US regarding the definition of milk and whether plant-based alternatives can use the term ‘milk’ to describe their products. In the EU, the definition is already part of a Regulation, which forbids the use of the term ‘milk’ in other products than milk of animal origin. The Tofutown case will hopefully clarify if producers of Alternatives will be able to use terms such as milk, which are traditionally linked to products from animal origin, if the producer mentions the source of the milk together with the term ‘milk’. We have seen this debate is not limited to ‘milk’, but also includes other products for which non-animal alternatives are available and marketing standards such as the CAP Regulation apply to. We will keep you posted on developments in the debate on definitions of Alternatives. Please do not hesitate to share your view on this topic with us!
Investors meet food and agro start-ups
Posted: March 3, 2017 Filed under: Authors, event, Food, Health claims, Information, Nutrition claims Comments Off on Investors meet food and agro start-ups
During the two days event in Wageningen, on 17 and 18 May this year, food start-ups will have the opportunity to give their best before an audience of seasoned investors. In the same time, those investors will have the chance to satisfy their appetite for tasty food start-ups. During this event, Karin Verzijden will moderate a debate between food start-ups on the convergence of food and health. The Q&A below provides a sneak peak into the topics that will be touched upon during that debate.
F&A Next: What is “healthy food” and to what extent food can contribute to health?
Karin: Although there is no such thing as a definition of healthy food, there are numerous guidelines on healthy diets. At the end of 2015, the WHO published a report that shocked food business operators (“FBO’s”), especially those involved in the meat industry. One of the WHO recommendations was to eat less processed meat, as the consumption of 50 g processed meat per day would increase the chance to develop colon cancer with 18 %. In line therewith, the Dutch dietary guidelines 2015 (“Richtlijnen Goede Voeding”) published by The Health Council propagate that a shift in the direction of a more plant-based and less animal-based dietary pattern improves health. In general it can be stated that according to various different health organisations, the consumption of certain foods or refraining therefrom can certainly contribute to health.
F&A Next: How do specific groups benefit from e.g. personalized food?
Karin: Specific groups of people may require specific types of food. For instance, it is known that elderly people recovering from surgery in the hospital lose a lot of muscle mass. They could benefit from so-called food for special medical purposes rich in protein. Anticipating that such food will enhance their recovery, this may in the end reduce hospitalization time and thereby costs. For the time being, this is as close as its gets to personalized food, but this may be different in future.
F&A Next: How “personal” is food likely to become and what type of legal issues may come into play?
Karin: In the future, it is conceivable that food will be delivered through the use of 3D-printing, both in a care setting and at home. In a care setting, one could imagine that very fragile patients having swallow problems could benefit from smooth printed food delivered on their plate in a very attractive way. When a hospital nutritionist would like to add extra vitamins or minerals, it is very likely that the upper limits laid down in the legislation on fortified foods needs to be taken into account. Furthermore, both in a home and care setting, interesting questions as to food safety may occur. For instance, when safety of 3D-printed food is compromised, who would be responsible for that? The manufacturer of the 3-D printing machine, the supplier of the raw materials or the user of the 3D-printing device, who in fact has promoted from a consumer into a “prosumer”? Finally, when 3D-printed foods hit the market as end products, they may be covered by the Novel Food legislation on new production methods. This would imply that such product would require a market authorization prior to marketing.
F&A Next: How can FBO’s communicate on potential health benefits of food without incurring the risk that they advertise a medicinal product or a medical device?
Karin: In the EU, there is a well-defined framework for nutrition and health claims to advertise health benefits of food products. A nutrition claim implies that a food product has certain beneficial properties in terms of nutrients and energy (“What’s in the product?”). Health claims state there is a relationship between food and health (“What does the product do?”) As long as the FBO sticks to the authorized claims (of the allowed variations) and they satisfy their conditions of use, there is no problem to be expected. FBO’s should however stay away from claiming that their food product can prevent or cure certain diseases, as they then clearly enter in to the medical arena. Based on criteria laid down medicinal products legislation, food and health authorities are authorized to take enforcement measures regarding food products that are advertised as having such medicinal properties. This can result into serious fines of six digits.
F&A Next: What actions are required from FBO’s to substantiate the health effects of their food products?
Karin: This depends on the type of claim made. For instance if the FBO claims his product is high in protein, he has to be able to justify upon request that the 20 % of the energy value of the product is provided by protein. When a FBO claims regarding a barley product that barley beta-glucans may reduce blood cholesterol, whereas high cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease, he should meet very specific criteria on the level of barley beta-glucan (3 g per day). Finally, when a FBO wants to obtain a so-called proprietary claim, he should initiate clinical trials in order to identify the relationship of cause and effect between a particular nutrient and its alleged health effect.
A guide to the Dutch sustainable certification jungle in food
Posted: February 13, 2017 Filed under: Food, Information | Tags: certification, logo, private standards Comments Off on A guide to the Dutch sustainable certification jungle in food
In the beginning of the new calendar year, people tend to stick to new year’s resolutions, such as eating healthier. In supermarkets and other stores choosing healthy/ sustainable products is made easy by means of certification. Certification, mostly in the form of a logo or picture, is a way of branding your product to stand out from your competitors. However, certification options are so broad that consumers have to spend a great deal of time to familiarize themselves with all the available certifications to make an informed choice. To enable the consumer to make an informed choice, the Dutch organization Milieu Centraal (a Dutch public information body on environment and sustainability) published a certification overview on their site, including an app (further keurmerkenwijzer). The keurmerkenwijzer provides an overview of all available certifications (not limited to food) and a ranking of the different organizations responsible for the certification. This blogpost will elaborate on certification in general and recent developments on the national Dutch certification regarding food, including the healthy choice (ik kies bewust) logo. This blog also includes elaboration on two separate apps, the abovementioned keurmerkenwijzer and the EtiketWijzer, which was presented at the Dutch food top 2017 as the replacement for the national certification.
Logo / certification
What is certification? The owner of a certification scheme has a set of rules commonly referred to as private standards, which the owner or a third party enforces. Private standards are voluntary rules, as opposed to national legal norms, which are binding. Food business operators (further: FBOs) can comply with these standards and in return (if they comply) are enabled to use the logo corresponding to those standards. The certification owner owns the logo as well as the standard; usually, the producer pays a fee to the certification owner to use the logo corresponding to the standard. If a FBO complies with a private standard it does not automatically mean the FBO complies with all legal requirements set in national or international law. However, private standards have the tendency to be stricter than national/ international law, and can even encompass rules, which are not part of the national and international law applicable on FBOs.
Scope and enforcement of private standards
Private standards are not limited by geographical area or jurisdiction. This is the reason private standards are used in third countries to ‘up’ the legal standards for the producers in third countries. Private standards contain enforcement measures, often in the form of high fines or exclusion from the private standard. In this way a separate enforcement mechanism is created to enable the certification owner to enforce in case of non-compliance without the interference of the national public enforcement in that particular country. In other words, private standards are a mean to privately enforce (stricter) standards in the food sector.
Rationale certification
Certification schemes are private or semi-private initiatives to enable consumers to see in one view, which products comply with the corresponding standards. Standards can be focused on sustainability, working conditions, animal welfare, or other elements of the production of the product. Even for package material certification schemes are available. FBO’s who bring foodstuffs to the market want to communicate through the use of certification. The incentive for FBOs to use certification on their foodstuff is to persuade consumers to purchase their product.
Large proliferation
A potential problem for FBOs using certification is the proliferation of certification schemes; the number of certification schemes has increased over the years and at this point, over 200 certification schemes exist which focus on sustainability. Research published in 2015 by Milieu Centraal and in 2016 by The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) both linked the diminished trust in certification schemes to the large number of available schemes.
Keurmerkenwijzer
To enable consumers to quickly find the information on certification schemes in general and more information on all individual certifications, including a rating of the schemes, the keurmerkenwijzer was launched by Milieu Centraal. The keurmerkenwijzer provides an overview of all available certification schemes (which focus on sustainability) and provides information to the consumers on the following aspects; environment, animal welfare, social, control and transparency. Because of the wide variety of certification schemes, the State Secretary for Economic Affairs was tasked to find a way to guide consumers in the ‘jungle of certification schemes’, to work towards a more sustainable food consumption. The keurmerkenwijzer is the presented solution to the proliferation of certification schemes.
Heathy choice logo
The Dutch national certification scheme for foodstuffs is the healthy choice logo (het vinkje), which used to be owned by the foundation ‘I make a conscious choice’ (stichting ik kies bewust). There are two separate logos, a green and a blue checkmark. The green is the healthy choice, meaning the product is part of the recommended dietary guidelines as provided by the Health Council of the Netherlands (Gezondheidsraad). The blue logo is the conscious choice, meaning that the product is not taken up in the dietary guidelines, but compared to reference products are healthier than the benchmark product; for instance, the product contains low amounts of salt and saturated fats compared to benchmark foodstuffs. The national legal basis can be found in article 11 of the Commodities Act Decree on food information. In short, the certification has to be well recognized by consumers (they know what it stands for) and the standards should be based on science.
Criticism Healthy Choice logo
A compliant and recognized national (or even Europe-wide) certification could be the solution for consumers to make an informed choice. However, the national certification met resistance from consumer organizations. The resistance against the certification led to the filing of a formal complaint (the link provides the full complaint) by the consumer organization (Consumentenbond). The conscious choice logo was considered non-compliant and misleading. In short, both logos were not as well-known to consumers and the scientific substantiation of the certification is lacking, and thus were not in compliance with the abovementioned national law. The foundation symbolically transferred both logos and the best in class criterion (developed by the foundation) to the minister as a result. The foundation will remain in business until all products containing the logo are no longer on the shelves. However, the foundation will be downsized in the course of 2017. The secretary and the website will remain in business as long as the logo’s are still used on products.
App EtiketWijzer
Instead of a new or ‘improved’ national certification scheme, the decision was taken to develop an app for consumers replacing the certification scheme with an app to make healthier choices in food. Currently, the app (EtiketWijzer) is being developed (test phase) by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (voedingscentrum). The EtiketWijzer focuses on the information on the foodstuff as such, instead of the certification schemes. Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Superunie, are involved in testing the app. The app currently, only works on certain private brands and premium brand products. By the end of 2017 a version for consumers should be available. The aim of the app is to encompass all foodstuffs (of the retailers participating), available in the final version.
Conclusion
The available certification schemes and corresponding logos are many, because of this ‘jungle’ of available certification schemes consumers lose trust in the available schemes. The app developed by Milieu Centraal enables consumers to get informed easily on all available certification schemes and to rate them. Assuming the number of certification schemes will not diminish drastically, the keurmerkenwijzer could be a helpful tool for consumers to make an informed choice. An option to clear the jungle would be to use a Europe-wide certification scheme. However, developing an app to inform the consumers is in our opinion fighting the symptoms, not the root of the problem; the proliferation of the certification schemes.
The EtiketWijzer potentially covers all foodstuffs, regardless of certification. However, the app is under development and should encompass all available foodstuffs to provide full information on healthy foodstuffs. Perhaps the keurmerkenwijzer could be integrated into the EtiketWijzer to ensure consumers are enabled to quickly access all information on both healthiness and sustainability of the foodstuffs without a proliferation of apps.
The author thanks Floris Kets for his contribution to this post.
Cross sector innovations and legal loopholes
Posted: December 7, 2016 Filed under: Authors, Enforcement, Food, Health claims, Information, Nutrition claims Comments Off on Cross sector innovations and legal loopholes
On 24 November last, the Dutch Life Sciences Conference took place in Leiden, the Netherlands. This conference brings together a large number of life sciences professionals from the Netherlands and abroad. One of this year’s sessions was dedicated to cross sector innovations, during which DSM, NutriLeads, i-Optics and Axon Lawyers shared their take on this topic. This post captures the legal presentation made during this session on cross over innovations, focussing on the applicable rules to borderline products. These rules are explained on the basis of landmark ECJ decisions and recent Dutch case law. The slides belonging thereto can be viewed here.
Product qualification
In order to demonstrate that it is not always easy to correctly qualify life sciences products, a few decisions from Dutch Courts and the Advertising Code Committee were discussed (see slides 3 – 7). According to a recent decision of the Dutch Supreme Court in the field of tax law, toothpaste and sun cream were surprisingly qualified as medicinal products. This case had been initiated in 2010 by two drugstores that were unhappy they had to pay the regular VAT rate of 21 % with respect to these products. According to the drugstores, these products qualified as medicinal products, to which a VAT rate of 6 % is applicable. Although their plea had been dismissed in two instances, the Supreme Court agreed with the drugstores that based on the presentation criterion (see below), both products indeed qualified as medicinal products, as they advertised therapeutic or prophylactic effects. With respect to toothpaste, this was due to the natrium fluoride protecting against caries and with respect to sun cream, the UVA and UVB filters were supposed to protect the skin against sunburn.
Legal framework
The case discussed above so far stands in isolation, but here are many cases that have shed light on the distinction between two categories of life sciences products, being food and medicinal products. Below you will find 5 criteria that will help you to apply this distinction. In slides 8 – 12, you will find the applicable legal sources.
- The legal product definitions should be taken as a starting point. Bottom line, medicinal products are products aimed curing, prevention or diagnosis of a disease, whereas food products are products intended to be ingested by humans.
- A distinction is being made between medicinal products by presentation and medicinal products by function. Extensive case law is available for the interpretations of these notions (see below). In case of doubt, the rules relating to medicinal products shall prevail.
- It is prohibited to advertise medicinal products without having a market authorisation. For advertising of food products, it is permitted to use authorised health claims, but it is prohibited to use medical claims.
- Medical claims are communications claiming that the advertised products improve health problems. It is a thin line between non-authorised medical claims and authorised disease risk reduction claims.
- The notion of advertising can be pretty broad. According to the Dutch Advertising Code it comprises any public and/or systematic direct or indirect recommendation of goods, services or views for the benefit of an advertiser, whether or not using third parties.
Medicinal Products by presentation
In the landmark ECJ case Van Bennekom, the presentation criterion to qualify medicinal products was introduced. The case related to a Dutch national, who was caught with large quantities of vitamin preparations for medicinal purposes in pharmaceutical form, however without any required pharmaceutical authorisations. Van Bennekom did not deny the facts, but he alleged that he was not marketing medicinal products, but food products. The ECJ ruled that for the sake of consumer protection, the presentation criterion not only covers products having a genuine therapeutic or medical effect but also those regarding which consumers are entitled to expect they have such effect. In sum, the presentation criterium should be broadly interpreted on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant factors. The concentration level of active ingredients forms only one of those factors.
Medicinal products by function
The ECJ Hecht-Pharma decision is still leading to set the parameters to decide if a product qualifies as a medicinal product by function. Hecht Pharma was marketing in Germany a fermented rice product in the form of capsules presented as being food supplements. Further marketing was prohibited, as the product contained significant levels of monalin k, which is an inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis. The product was considered as a medicinal product by function, for the marketing of which a market authorisation would be required. The ECJ ruled in this case that for the purposes of deciding if a product falls within the definition of medicinal product by function, the national courts must decide on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all characteristics of the product, such as its composition, its pharmacological properties and manner of use, the extent of its distribution, its familiarity to consumers and the risks, which its use may entail. As reported in a recent post, these criteria are still valid.
Functional foods
A recent Dutch decision on a licensing dispute entailed so-called functional foods. Although this notion does not have a legal definition under EU standards, it is usually understood as food having certain medicinal properties. The dispute divided Unilever and Ablynx, who both had obtained a license from the Brussels University (VUB) under certain antibody patents owned by VUB. Unilever’s licensed related to (roughly speaking) food products, whereas Ablynx’ license related to medicinal products. Under its license, Unilever developed so-called functional foods having certain beneficial effects against infections caused by the rotavirus. Ablynx claimed that Unilever had thus operated outside its licensed field and thereby acted unlawfully vis-à-vis Ablynx. The Hague Appeal Court endorsed Ablynx’ claims, on the assumption that Unilever’s license was clearly directed against non-pharmaceutical products. As such, it could target general health benefits (such as lowering cholesterol), but not specific pathogens.
Take home
What can you learn from the above? It is important to obtain pre-market clearance for the communication on health products. For this purpose, you can take guidance from the Advertising Code on Health Products (Code aanprijzing gezondheidsproducten), applicable to products having a pharmaceutical form and a health related primary function, however without being medicinal products. You could also request pre-market clearance from KOAG-KAG, whom actively evaluates claims on health products and provide endorsements. If and when you are confronted with enforcement measures by either the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate (Inspectie Gezondheidszorg or IGZ) or the Dutch Food Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel en Waren Autoriteit or NVWA), first try to buy some time by claiming an extension for response. Subsequently, carefully consider if the claims made by the enforcement authorities are factually correct and legally enforceable. Whenever helpful or necessary, obtain professional support.
Brexit: what are the consequences for nutraceuticals?
Posted: June 30, 2016 Filed under: Authors, Food, Food Supplements, Health claims, Information, Nutrition claims Comments Off on Brexit: what are the consequences for nutraceuticals?
Shock and awe: they did it! A few days after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, many sectors are investigating the consequences thereof for the services and products concerned. The more a sector has been regulated at an EU level, the more severe those consequences tend to be.
EU landscape of food law
If any sector has been highly regulated at an EU level, it is the food sector. The BSE crisis in the ’90-ies gave rise to the General Food Law Regulation in 2002, which has been the basis for a considerable corpus of rules relevant for the nutraceutical sector. These rules include the Food Supplements Directive (2002) as well as the Regulation on Fortified Foods and the Claims Regulation (both from 2006), as well as the Food Information to Consumers Regulation (2011) and the Regulation on Foods for Special Groups (2013) to name just a few.
What is going to happen next?
Although it is difficult to imagine that years of laws and case law can be cast by a vote, strictly speaking the European Regulations will cease to apply in the United Kingdom once it no longer forms a part of the EU. Also, there will no longer be an imperative to implement European Directives into English national law. Access for European nutraceuticals to the UK market and access for English nutraceuticals on the EU market will therefore depend on the instruments replacing the common European framework.
What are the options?
Firstly, the UK could reach and agreement similar to the one that the EU has with Norway or Iceland. In that case, the impact in the field of nutraceuticals would be fairly limited; the UK forming part of the European Economic Area and to a large extent be bound by EU legislation. Secondly, if the relationship would be shaped after the one between the EU and Switzerland, the implications could be more important, as EU food law would not be of general application in the UK. Thirdly, the gap between the current and future situation would be even greater if the relationship will be similar to the one that the EU has with the USA under the WTO, as for each specific sector specific agreements would need to be negotiated.
The trigger and the transition period
In order to move to the next stage, the UK will have to inform the Council of its decision to withdraw from the European Union, based on the famous article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. So far, the UK seems to be divided on the question when this process has to be initiated. Some (Europeans) speculate that it may not be initiated at all. However, once the Council has received notice from the UK, an agreement setting out the arrangements for withdrawal should be negotiated within two years. During this transition period, the EU regulatory framework for nutraceuticals shall – in principle – remain in force. However, it can be expected that food business operators shall anticipate on the shift in the regulatory landscape. The UK may become less attractive to trade nutraceuticals due to the uncertainly what will be the applicable rules there.
Open ends… or not?
Based on the EU regulatory framework, nutraceuticals generally do not require prior market approval. This implies that English nutraceuticals could in principle still be marketed in the EU after the Brexit becoming effective. However, any English nutraceuticals marketed in the European Union will have to meet the EU requirements regarding the type of vitamins and minerals that may or may not be used in food supplements and fortified foods respectively. Furthermore, English nutraceuticals to be marketed in Europe may only use those nutrition and health claims that have been authorized at an EU level and that bear information on ingredients and nutrition facts in line with the Food Information to Consumers Regulation. The other way round is much less clear, meaning that it will remain an open question for quite some time with what rules European nutraceuticals to be marketed in the UK will have to comply . This will depend on the rules applicable to nutraceuticals in the UK replacing the EU regulatory framework. Summarizing it seems that trading UK nutraceuticals in the EU will not become “easier” from a UK perspective, whereas marketing European nutraceuticals in the UK will become less attractive because of the regulatory flaw.
Homework on IP licenses
For those food business operators distributing nutraceuticals under license in the licensed territory of the European Union, it is mandatory to clarify whether or not that territory still includes the EU after a Brexit becoming effective. This will not only depend on the wording of the agreement but also on the trademark backing the license. If this is for instance an EU trademark (former Community Trademark), this will no longer be valid in the UK in future. Moreover, if the validity of this EU mark was mainly based on genuine use in the UK, the validity of the entire trademark could be at stake because such use would no longer be of relevance for the continued existence of the mark.
Conclusion
The majority of the British people do not seem to have done a favor to the nutraceuticals industry, to put it mildly. In order for English nutraceuticals to access the EU market, these products will have to meet the EU standards anyway. For European nutraceuticals to be marketed on the Brittish market however, it cannot yet be predicted to what rules they need to comply. It does not seem to be realistic that the UK will opt for the Norwegian model, as it deliberatly moved away from the EU and – presumably – from the EU regulatory framework. It is also hard to conceive that the UK, being such an important trade partner of the EU will put in the same position as the US under the WTO. Remains the Swiss model as a most likely option for the trade agreements to be negotiated between the EU and the UK, but the Swiss model currently also implies the free movement of persons, which is an issue for the UK. So this is not an easy one. Keep you posted.
Photo by Tolga Akmen/LNP/REX/Shutterstock (5738024r) Pro-EU campaigners protest against Britain leaving the European Union in Trafalgar Square – London Stays anti-Brexit demonstration, Trafalgar Square, London, UK – 28 Jun 2016. The referendum was won by the leave campaign and caused Prime Minister David Cameron to resign on 23 June 2016.
Who Does Not Want To Have A Healthy Breakfast?
Posted: August 10, 2015 Filed under: Authors, Enforcement, Food, Health claims, Information, Nutrition claims Comments Off on Who Does Not Want To Have A Healthy Breakfast?
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has been pretty active this Summer. Following up on previous enforcement reports on nutrition claims, it recently published such enforcement report re. both nutrition and health claims for breakfast cereals. As this report relates to legislation that has been harmonized at an EU-wide level and it provides detailed enforcement information, this is an interesting read – not only for the Netherlands.
Less than 50 % fully compliant
Actually, the report publishes data on the review of claims regarding 126 different breakfast cereals marketed under 24 different brands. These data were compiled during the period between March – October 2014. From this review, It appeared that less than half of those products were fully compliant with the Claims Regulation. The NVWA considers it of the essence that Food Business Operators (FBO’s) offering for sale breakfast cereals fully comply with the Claims Regulation to enable consumers to make informed choices.
Nutrition and health claim framework
Since the entry into force of the Claims Regulation on 1 July 2007, only authorized claims can be used for food products. A claim is a message or representation in any form, that is not mandatory under EU law or national legislation and that states, suggests or implies that a food has certain characteristics. A nutrition claim is a claim that states or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties in terms of energy and/or nutrients. A health claim is a claim that states or implies there is a relationship between food and health. Amongst the health claims, a distinction is made between general claims, disease risk reduction (DRR) claims and claims relating to the health and development of children. In 2012, the Commission published a list of 222 authorized general claims that is dynamic and has currently evolved into 229 claims. Furthermore, there are currently 14 authorized DRR claims and 11 children’s claims. For both nutrition and health claims, strict conditions of use are applicable. For instance, in order to claim that a product is high in proteins, at least 12 % of the energy delivered by the product should be provided by proteins.
Method of enforcement
Contrary to previous claims enforcement reports that only related to nutrition claims, the NVWA this time also took into account health claims. More concretely, it report relates to pre-packed breakfast cereals that were offered for sale in the Netherlands at both retail and wholesale level. If the products at stake were advertised at websites as well, such information was also subject to enforcement. The products at stake consisted of granola, corn flakes, puffed rice grains, oatmeal and wheat meal, some of them supplemented by nuts, sugar, dried fruits or chocolate. The information reviewed was the name of the product and the nutrition labelling, in as far as related to nutrition and health claims. A warning letter was sent to those FBO’s whose products were not compliant, except when an unauthorized claim was used. In those cases, a fine was imposed under the suspensive condition of full compliance within a grace period. When I contacted the NVWA to know the average amount of such fine, I was informed that my query would be answered within 6 weeks. Apparently, the Summer scheme is still on at NVWA – too bad. But an update will be provided at FoodHealthLegal when more information is available.
Outcome of enforcement
As mentioned above, out of the 126 products that were reviewed, over half of them did not fully comply with the Claims Regulation, mostly because the claims used were pretty vague. Although it is permitted to use a variation on an authorized claim, the essence thereof should be the same as an authorized claim. An example of a claim that was sanctioned by the NVWA is “The cereals present in this product are the basis for a healthy and nutritious breakfast. It contains nutrients that are indispensable for the human body and that are quickly absorbed by the body.” Another reason why products were not compliant was that non-existent nutrition claims were used, such as “does not contain cholesterol” or “ contains many nutrients”. Furthermore, sometimes nutrition claims were made, whereas the strict conditions of use were not met. Although this is not visible from the product label, such is a violation of the Claims Regulation as well. Finally, on many products, the link between a specific nutrient and the health claim used on the labelling was missing. Instead, pretty general, non-specific, claims were made that can be quickly taken in by the consumer, but also easily be misunderstood. Therefore, such general, non-specific claims are only allowed if accompanied by a specific, authorized, health claim. For example, the claim “Crisply granola of brand X forms part of a healthy and nutritious breakfast” cannot be used alone, but it can be used jointly with an authorized claim for iron, like “Iron contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism”.
Recommendations
The fact that the NVWA nowadays actively enforces health and nutrition claims shows that it considers B2C communication on food product to be an integral part of food safety. From our practise I know changing the packaging of your food products is a lot of hassle, so better get it right as from the start. Here are a few tips to help you along.
- At all times, it should be avoided to made a medical claim with respect to food products. Medical claims are claims directed at the prevention or treatment of a disease. Their use, if allowed at all, is strictly reserved for pharmaceuticals.
- If you consider the authorized claims are not persuasive or sexy enough, choose one of the variations published by the self regulatory body KOAG-KAG.
- Make sure you have data supporting the nutrition facts of your food product, as the burden of proof lies with the FBO when receiving a request pertaining thereto from the NVWA.
- When using general, non-specific claims, use the specific, authorized claim in the same field of vision.
- When in doubt, or if you simply need a sparring partner, consult an expert.