EU nutrition claims

In order to make a specific health statement for a product under the new EU Regulation No 1924/2006, the required amount of the health ingredient is clearly defined. In order to make strong claims, in many cases rather high amounts must be included. Alternatively, food manufacturers in the EU may use nutrition claims that do not directly refer to health benefits but communicate that omega-3 is contained in relevant amounts in the food.

'Source of omega-3 fatty acids' – 40mg per 100g

A claim that a food is a 'source of omega-3 fatty acids' (and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer) may only be made where the product contains:

• minimum 40mg of the sum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per 100g and per 100kcal.

'High in omega-3 fatty acids' – 80mg per 100g

A claim that a food is 'high in omega-3 fatty acids' (and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer) may only be made where the product contains:

• minimum 80mg of the sum EPA and DHA per 100g and per 100kcal.