Nutrition and health claims on products for infant feeding in Spain and the European Union

Nutrition and health claims are an added value that can position and differentiate a product or brand. Fraud issues in what scientific analysis is required are hardly refutable by the consumer. Legislation and official scientific bodies should ensure that the communication is truthful. Regulation 1924/2006 and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have a key role, being the focus on the creation and final acceptance of nutrition and health claims. However, the coexistence of specific legislation applicable to foods for infants and young children to the Regulation 1924/2006, has complicated the interpretation and application of the regulation to these foods of special consideration. Directives 2006/141 and 2006/125 contain some specific sections on nutrition and health claims not subject to approval by the EFSA, and sometimes the Regulation 1924/2006 conflicts with these specific directives in this area. In this review, we reveal some of the roughest stories involving the development of a necessary, ambitious and complex legislation.