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BEUC denounces EU over "bogus" food claims

25 Jan 2018

Last week, European consumer organisation BEUC and its member organisations from 11 countries denounced what it claims is the EU Commission’s long-standing failure to clear the market of bogus food claims.

Last week, European consumer organisation BEUC and its member organisations from 11 countries denounced what it claims is the EU Commission’s long-standing failure to clear the market of bogus food claims.

It is common, BEUC says, to see foods and drinks loaded with sugar, salt or fat with nutrition claims such as “high in fibres”, “B vitamins” or health claims like “boosts your immune system”. Those messages, believes the organisation, give a healthy halo to unhealthy products and mislead consumers as to the actual nutritional content of the food they buy.

To halt these unacceptable practices, 9 years ago today, the European Commission was due to publish criteria – called ‘nutrient profiles’ – BEUC notes. These maximum thresholds would act as “filters” preventing unhealthy foods from displaying bogus claims. However, the publication of those profiles has not happened yet. BEUC is calling on the EU to act now to avoid celebrating a 10-year delay in January 2019.

On Friday, BEUC unveiled what it described as “dodgy” claims that its members have found on powdered drinks across Europe. The organisation will be publishing in an online gallery one food category per day until tomorrow, January 26th.