Open Access[International experiences with health claims in food labeling].
Author(s) -
Janine Giuberti Coutinho,
Elisabetta Recine
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
revista panamericana de salud pública (impresa)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1020-4989
DOI - 10.1590/s1020-49892007001100012
Subject(s) - european union , quality (philosophy) , agriculture , business , identification (biology) , health information , food labeling , health claims on food labels , representation (politics) , food products , marketing , political science , international trade , geography , food science , health care , politics , law , biology , philosophy , botany , archaeology , epistemology
With ever-increasing frequency, consumers are seeking information on the foods they eat. Food labels are an important source of this type of information, and the Codex Alimentarius, created by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, provides a global reference for coordinated food quality and identification standards. The Codex Alimentarius agenda includes nutritional information and "health claims," which are defined as any representation that states, suggests, or implies that a relationship exists between a food or a constituent of that food and health. Although food labeling seems to effectively assist consumers in choosing among processed foods, consumers are not always capable of reading or interpreting nutritional information correctly, so health claims may allow for more precise decision-making for these products. The present paper examines the use of health claims in countries and regions that have already implemented this type of regulation (Brazil, Chile, Canada, United States of America, the European Union, and Japan).