Brussels, 16 July 2003 - EURO COOP, the European Community of Consumer Cooperatives, today welcomed the Commission proposal for a Regulation on nutritional and health claims made on foods. This move to ban misleading and dubious food claims is an important step towards providing better consumer information and public health protection.

EURO COOP is pleased that the newly-adopted proposal tackles both nutrition and health claims, as called for by consumer co-operatives for many years already. It welcomes the Commission's willingness to harmonise and strictly-regulate the use of these claims across Europe. In addition to addressing an important gap in the existing EU labelling regime, this new piece of legislation will also be key to completing forthcoming legal initiatives on food fortification and nutritional labelling.

"Consumers today are faced with an unregulated market of products often presented with catchy labels describing food as 'better' or 'healthy'. However, many such claims are often false and misleading, and are not even scientifically proven", commented EURO COOP Food Policy Officer Aude L'hirondel. It is for example doubtful whether consumers will be more 'relaxed' if they eat chocolate bars containing lavander! "With the proliferation of unregulated nutrition and health claims, consumers become more and more confused or misled and as a result may choose unbalanced diets", she added. For example most consumers believe that a '90% fat free' product contains less fat than a 'low fat' product- which is of course not true. EURO COOP welcomes the authorisation systems planned for nutrition and health claims, which will be key to achieving a common high level of consumer protection across Europe.

Consumer Co-operatives are also pleased that the Commission has given consideration to public health protection by prohibiting claims made on foods that do not respect nutritional profiles - although EURO COOP is concerned that these profiles will be established by Comitology as this procedure is not transparent. "A food should not be portrayed as healthy if it is high in fat, salt and/or sugar", commented Aude L'hirondel. "This would send the wrong message to consumers'", she added. Claims on fatty, sugary and salty foods imply that they are healthy and may encourage their consumption. Rather, it is nutrition and healthy diets that are key to reducing obesity and many chronic diseases in Europe, which are rapidly on the rise.

EURO COOP also supports the Commission's proposal to prohibit certain claims so as to protect consumers, in particular the prohibition on claims on beverages containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol. For public health reasons, we believe that claims should not encourage consumers - and especially young people - to drink alcoholic beverages. We are however disappointed that claims directed exclusively or principally at children are no longer prohibited by the proposed Regulation.

EURO COOP is confident that the European Parliament and Council will follow the Commission move to ban misleading food claims in order to ensure better consumer choice and public health protection.