Compilation of nutrition and health claims evaluated by EFSA

The following is a list of nutrition and health claims evaluated by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The authorized claims are shown with green text and the rejected claims are shown in red text.

Fish Oil Supplement

Fish oil is generally obtained from mackerel, herring, tuna, salmon, cod liver, whale blubber, and seal blubber. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids mainly Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Let's read the details about fish oil below: 

EFSA evaluation of health claims related to COPPER

The following is a list of claims related to the copper. The claim explaining “ copper contributes to the cholesterol and glucose” was not authorized by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Claims	EFSA opinion reference	Status
Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues	2009;7(9):1211	Authorised
Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism	2009;7(9):1211 2011;9(4):2079	Authorised
Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system	2009;7(9):1211 2011;9(4):2079	Authorised
Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation	2009;7(9):1211	Authorised
Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body	2009;7(9):1211	Authorised
Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation	2009;7(9):1211	Authorised
Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system	2009;7(9):1211 2011;9(4):2079	Authorised
Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress	2009;7(9):1211	Authorised
Copper contributes to the cholesterol and glucose	2009;7(9):1211	Non-authorised

Safety and Effectiveness of "Disinfection Card"

With increasing COVID-19 pandemic situation, different disinfection and sterilization products are being introduced into the market. One of them is a disinfection card, claimed to protect from coronavirus infection.  It generally contains chlorine dioxide producing chemical called sodium chlorite. "Wearing a disinfection card on your neck only creates a little of low-concentration chlorine dioxide that blows in the wind, which has a very limited effect," said Dong Chuan, director of Shanxi University's Institute of Environmental Science. 

Moreover, sodium chlorite used in the card is a hazardous chemical. If the card is damaged, it can cause serious health problems from skin burns to even respiratory poisoning. Ministry of Health has declared that such products have not been given permission to be marketed. However, such products are widely available in the market. Are such products being monitored and controlled by the relevant regulatory body?

Let's check the material safety data sheet of sodium chlorite and related chemicals from Sigma Aldrich.

National Food Safety Policy 2076

Please find the "National Food Safety Policy, 2076" .

FDA takes action against fraudulent COVID-19 products

A number of fraudulent products claiming to prevent, treat, mitigate, diagnose or cure COVID-19 are emerging in the world. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing warning letters to firms for selling such fraudulent products. They are actively monitoring to control the marketing of unapproved products and those making false or misleading claims. The detailed list of 76 warning letters related to COVID-19 is given in the table below. 

We can see a wide range of products ranging from hypochlorous spray, cannabidiol products, rapid test kits, iodine products, dietary supplements, hand sanitizers, herbal products, traditional medicines, homeopathic medicines, ayurvedic products, chlorine solution, nasal spray, misleading food products etc. Please have a look on the table for details. 

Non-Authorized (Rejected) Health Claims related to Calcium

The following claims were rejected by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).

Rejected Claims	EFSA opinion Reference
Calcium contributes to normal functioning of cells.	2010;8(10):1725
Calcium helps manage your weight	2010;8(10):1725
Calcium contributes to weight control. Calcium modulates energy metabolism
Calcium helps to keep a healthy blood pressure.	2009;7(9):1210
Calcium naturally present in dairy products is important for weight management	2010;8(10):1725
Dairy calcium has been shown to stimulate lipolysis.
Consumption of dairy calcium aids weight loss.
Dairy calcium modulates fat metabolism.
Dairy calcium helps promote fat loss.
Calcium promotes a healthy heart. Calcium maintains a healthy heart. Calcium helps build a healthy heart. Calcium helps promote a healthy heart	2009;7(9):1210
Oyster shells are rich source of calcium that contributes to healthy blood cholesterol level/ Oyster shells are a rich source of calcium that helps to maintain normal cholesterol level/Oyster shells are a rich source of calcium that decreases LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.	2010;8(10):1725
Diet which includes several daily servings of low-fat milk products (about 1200 mg of calcium/day) helps to control blood pressure.	2009;7(9):1210
Supplementation with B-vitamins, iron, magnesium as well as vitamin C can reduce fatigue and tiredness in situations of inadequate micro-nutrient status.	2010;8(10):1725
Water-soluble vitamins, calcium, magnesium and zinc are essential for mental function and performance	2010;8(10):1725
In situations of inadequate micronutrient status, supplementation with water-soluble vitamins, minerals and zinc can sustain mental performance (e.g. concentration, learning, memory, reasoning).
Calcium supports the regulation of the acid base balance	2011;9(6):2201
Calcium strengthens the nails.	2010;8(10):1725
Calcium phosphoryl oligosaccharide  restores tooth enamel after meals, increases tooth surface hardness, helps strengthen teeth.	2011;9(6):2267
Calcium-containing fruit juices:  Reduced risk for dental erosion	Q-2009-00501

List of EFSA approved Health Claims for Calcium

The following claims were rejected by the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority).

Approved Claims	EFSA opinion Reference
Calcium contributes to normal blood clotting	2009;7(9):1210
Calcium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism	2009;7(9):1210
Calcium contributes to normal muscle function	2009;7(9):1210
Calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission	2009;7(9):1210
Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes	2009;7(9):1210
Calcium has a role in the process of cell division and specialisation	2010;8(10):1725
Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones	2009;7(9):1210 2009;7(9):1272 2010;8(10):1725 2011;9(6):2203
Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth	2009;7(9):1210 2010;8(10):1725 2011;9(6):2203

Conditions of use of the claim: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of calcium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.

The Latest Monograph of Turmeric vs COVID-19

Turmeric is one of the most common household spices in Asian kitchen. It contains a yellow colored antioxidant called curcumin. It is known to have some therapeutic properties. It is considered possibly effective for hay fever, depression, high cholesterol, fatty liver, osteoarthritis and itching. However, it is considered possibly ineffective for Alzheimer disease, stomach ulcers and radiation dermatitis. 

Some people also believe its effectiveness against heartburn, memory skills, inflammatory bowel disease, stress etc, but we don't have sufficient scientific evidence to support this assumption. 

Turmeric is considered likely safe for use as food and when applied to the skin. Because of its antioxidant and therapeutic properties, it is considered one of the healthy food ingredient. 

Recently, the health benefits of turmeric has got a lot of attention from politician, relevant experts, medical practitioners and general public. There are different views from the different personnel. In general, they can be categorized as follows:

1. Turmeric is a medicine that can be used to cure or treat the COVID-19 disease.

2. Turmeric is a healthy food ingredient with some known therapeutic properties. Since healthy people are more likely to get recovered from COVID-19, the use of turmeric might benefit us during this pandemic situation.

3. Turmeric is a healthy ingredient. But, it does not help in the recovery from COVID-19.

4. Turmeric is just a food ingredient, as it gives yellow color. It does not have any health benefit or therapeutic properties.

Let's try to read the updated monograph of turmeric to evaluate different views.

Rapid Risk Analysis for Contaminants having No Regulatory Limit

With the advancement of analytical capabilities, new chemical contaminants having no regulatory limits are being detected in the foods. Under such scenarios, risk managers of the competent authority might not have enough time to wait for the full risk assessment. Nevertheless, they must take appropriate measures to protect the public health based on the rapid risk assessment. Codex has recently formulated a guideline CXG 92-2019 to address such scenarios.

This guideline should only be applied in the conditions: (a) the contaminant is new in the food and was not previously reported; (b) it has no regulatory limit; (c) there are no specific codex guidelines or standards related to that contaminants in the foods.

Decision tree for rapid risk analysis

The codex guideline CXG 92-2019 provides the decision tree for the rapid risk analysis and is shown in the figure below:

Food Composition Table For Nepal

PDF Document: "Food Composition Table For Nepal"

COVID-19 perception and fact check

Last week, we had carried out poll to collect the public opinion on the risk of coronavirus infection from different sources. The poll question was : "In your opinion, how much is the risk of coronavirus infection from the different sources?" The poll is still open for you to give your opinion here.

Let's check the results and do the fact check. The fact check information is obtained from  "German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment".

Nepalese National Formulary 2018 (3rd edition)

PDF Document: "Nepalese National Formulary 2018 (3rd Edition)"