As part of proposed harmonisation of European food law the European Commission released directive (2003) 424. This related to proposed regulation of Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods. Alimentarius were approached by the sports nutrition company Maximuscle to review the directive and provide feedback. As a founder member of the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) Maximuscle requested that the report specifically addressed the potential impact for its own business, the sports supplement industry in general and consumers. Alimentarius identified two areas of particular concern for ESSNA members, which fell under Article 11 (Prohibited Health Claims) and Article 12 (Generally accepted claims). The feedback from Alimentarius was used to help overturn the Article 11 proposal to prohibit products from carrying claims relating to weight and fat loss. Our feedback relating to article 12 helped to ensure flexibility in health claim wording on pack and in advertising. This meant manufacturers of sports supplements could communicate the benefits of their products effectively, while consumers could easily identify products with the benefits and characteristics they were looking for.
