Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

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Milk and dairy products in human nutrition
in calories because sugar is substituted for fat in them. This means that some low-fat
yoghurts can contain more calories than the full-fat varieties, making them a poorer
food choice than consumers are led to believe. This is not to imply that recommendations
for dietary changes should not be made, but, as discussed in Chapter 4,
it is imperative to consider the impact of nutrient reduction on the diet as a whole
(Maziak, Ward and Stockton, 2008).
In recent times, innovations in dairy products have expanded beyond low-fat
milk to encompass dairy ingredients, flavoured milks and drinking yoghurts
enriched with multiple nutrients. Recent innovative food products have received
mixed response but the willingness of the consumer to adopt or reject such products
is critical to their success (de Barcellos et al., 2009). As noted by Falguera, Aliguer
and Falguera (2012) “many of the innovative products have failed…the majority of
people are unsure of their benefits…and consumers tend to prefer food products
that bring a simple but clear health benefit and even those that are more concerned
about health issues perceive products that are intrinsically healthy as preferable”.
5.4.1 Regulatory health and nutrition claim framework and recent
legislative developments
Consumers use nutrition labelling to make an informed food choice. It is therefore
critical that the regulatory framework on labelling ensures that the consumer receives
accurate information and provides protection from misleading nutrition and health
claims (Capacci et al., 2012). Codex Alimentarius has developed global standards
and guidelines on food labelling. National regulations still vary and international
trade has meant that dairy companies may be required to adhere to a number of
regulations. In particular, the subject of health and nutrition claims has received
considerable attention from both industry and the regulators. The approach to the
use of health claims may differ around the world but a common theme is that any
claim must be substantiated by scientific evidence. The general consensus amongst
legislators is that the regulatory framework should protect the consumer from false
information, promote fair trade and encourage innovation in the food industry that
can ultimately translate into healthier lifestyles (Roupas, Williams and Margetts,
2009). Codex Alimentarius defines a health claim as “any representation that states,
suggests, or implies that a relationship exists between a food or a constituent of that
food and health”; in other words, it is any statement used on labels, in marketing or
advertising that states or implies a health benefit can result from consuming a food
or food components. Some examples of these are given in Table 5.1.
Legislation concerning health and nutrition claims has progressed slowly in
many countries (Roupas, Williams and Margetts, 2009). The debate over the validity
of health claims has been particularly active in Europe and the EU framework
now includes regulations (Reg. No. 1924/2006; Reg. No. 1925/2006) on the use of
nutrition claims (such as “low fat” or “no added sugar”) and health claims (such as
“reduces blood cholesterol”). Scientifically sound evidence is fundamental to the
approval and overall credibility of a claim, with particular reference to randomized,
placebo-controlled intervention studies in humans. As part of these regulations,
EFSA is responsible for evaluating the scientific evidence for any claims. Between
2008 and 2011, approximately 3 000 food-related generic (Article 13) health claims
were assessed and 443 scientific opinions were released, with the vast majority of