“Detox”, “superfruit”, “source of vitamin” juice … The regulations concerning communication on the health impact of certain foodstuffs are not always respected alert, Monday, June 21, the Directorate-General for Competition, consumption and the repression of fraud (DGCCRF). An alert that was given following a study conducted in 2019, revealing in particular many abuses on the Internet.
Concerned about “Compliance by professionals with European regulations on health claims”, the DGCCRF noted an average anomaly rate of 44% during the control of “More than 300 establishments”.
“However, the differences are significant between physical establishments (shops, production sites, etc.), which have an anomaly rate of 38%, and establishments selling their products on the Internet, whose anomaly rate is much higher ( 69%) “, explains the crackdown on fraud in a press release.
“Use during a cold”
Note that the rate is high because the survey “Targeted the products most likely to carry health claims: infusions, teas, chocolates, breakfast cereals, bee products”, explains the instance.
The “Anomalies” the most common are “Presence of therapeutic claims”, for example “Can be used during a cold” ; the presence of“Unauthorized health claims” or “Not included on the positive lists of authorized claims” ; or the use of general claims, for example the terms “Superfruit” or ” detox “.
The DGCCRF still evokes “Non-compliance with the wording of the allegations”, citing as an example: “Vitamin C increases the immune system” instead of the authorized claim “Vitamin C contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system”. “The anomalies observed gave rise to the drafting of sixty warnings, seventy-one injunctions and seventeen minutes”, further specifies the DGCCRF.