While the population is more and more overweight and obese, leading to the escalation of health expenditures and to the collapse of European welfare systems, the chance of promoting the introduction of fruit and vegetables in our diets stressing their healthy content is actually clashing with the current regulatory framework of the EU. In particular, we are talking about the strict regulations regarding the use of the so-called health claims - i.e. statements on the benefits deriving from the use of a certain foodstuff - for commercial and/or publicity use. The purpose of the EU regulation on claims is to safeguard consumers from false health claims. All health claims are therefore valued on the basis of strict scientific checks and require high quality documents based on good scientific practices agreed upon at an international level.
However, if such a framework works well for the highly processed foodstuff industry, which can usually count on huge economic resources for marketing initiatives, things are not the same for the fruit and vegetable sector, as it becomes an obstacle that creates almost ridiculous consequences.
Six years (!) of in depth studies to demonstrate that eating dried prunes is good for the digestive tract - a thing that even our grandmas know - is not progress and does not safeguard consumers. It is just a blatant example of awful bureaucracy.
A paradox
By setting such limits for health claims regarding any kind of foodstuff, it seems like the European Union is ignoring all recommendations made by the World Health Organisation on the need to consume more fruit and vegetables. In addition to this, it is doing so even though the minimum quantity of fruit and vegetables per person (400 grams per day) recommended by the WHO is not reached in the majority of the Member States.
However, if such a framework works well for the highly processed foodstuff industry, which can usually count on huge economic resources for marketing initiatives, things are not the same for the fruit and vegetable sector, as it becomes an obstacle that creates almost ridiculous consequences.
Six years (!) of in depth studies to demonstrate that eating dried prunes is good for the digestive tract - a thing that even our grandmas know - is not progress and does not safeguard consumers. It is just a blatant example of awful bureaucracy.
A paradox
By setting such limits for health claims regarding any kind of foodstuff, it seems like the European Union is ignoring all recommendations made by the World Health Organisation on the need to consume more fruit and vegetables. In addition to this, it is doing so even though the minimum quantity of fruit and vegetables per person (400 grams per day) recommended by the WHO is not reached in the majority of the Member States.
We have reached a paradox where, while in the US - the land of fast-foods and junk-food - the promotion of fruit and vegetables has received the support from the highest government levels (even from the First Lady!) without major obstacles (apart, of course, from the food lobbies), in the EU - the land of some of the most noble culinary and food traditions worldwide (and of the Mediterranean diet nonetheless) - we have managed to neutralise all health assumptions concerning fruit and vegetables, even the universally known ones!
Reverse the procedures for fruit and vegetables
EU regulations on health claims need to be revised and a fast track for fruit and vegetables must be introduced. An example could be the reversal of the procedures concerning benefits deriving from the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
In these cases, health captions should be allowed right away, with the chance of revising them following valid scientific studies that demonstrate that previously made claims are false. The European Food Safety Authority should not take years to validate health claims regarding fruit and vegetables, but rather refute them!
We feel that the representatives of the fruit and vegetable sector can obtain this small (though huge) objective together with the European Health and Agriculture Ministries in a reasonable time, thus contributing to a first fundamental step towards the fight against obesity.