No, in the case of a food, dietary supplement or cosmetic product one may not say that it helps with a disease. So no ‘helps against eczema’ in the case of a cream. Nor 'reduces pain with joint complaints ' in the case of glucosamine products.
But what if this is communicated?
On the front of a package of La Bonbonnerie butter wafers is the designation ‘vegan’. Good news for vegans you might think, they can now also enjoy the Old Dutch treat. But alas, it turns out to be misleading food information. The product contains 1% butter and is therefore not completely free of animal ingredients. A big line through ‘vegan’, but what about the ‘veggie’ designation?
Read MoreMany food packages include a ‘serving suggestion’ (aka ‘serving tip’). But what does this mean? The Board of Appeal outlines two ways in which consumers can understand ‘serving suggestion’.
Read More"Immediate" action is a must in case of unsafe food and feed. This open standard from European legislation (General Food Regulation (178/2002) and Implementing Regulation (931/2011)) has recently been specified in a national Policy Rule. "Immediately" means that within 4 (!) hours after there is reason to believe that a product is unsafe, a consumer recall must be initiated. Within the same 4 hours, the NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) must also be notified in relation to the source of the products and in relation to the customers of the products (1 step up and 1 step further down the chain).
Read More“Vitalise Positive Saffron Complex will lift your spirits if you are feeling gloomy.” Is this claim allowed or not? You’ll need to be very accurate when using botanicals. This claim is too strong; a more subtle claim would have been acceptable.
Read MoreThe vegan shoarma pizza is the latest addition to New York Pizza's pizza range. This launch did not go unnoticed, as is often the case with this pizza specialist. Earlier, we reported that the campaign promoting the cauliflower pizza base caught the eye.
Read MoreOn July 1st the new Alcohol Act will enter into force, replacing the Drinks and Catering Act. These new rules aim to prevent alcohol use by young people and combat problematic alcohol use in the Netherlands. The most prominent change is the ban on discounts above 25% in retail stores (Art. 2a Alcohol Act). This puts an end to offers such as 'buy one, get two’ or 'three for the price of two'.
Read MoreTotal panic in the Amsterdam supermarkets: the barista oat drink, which you can use to add plant-based foam to your (iced) coffee, is out! The producers have a supply problem. And that's not surprising, because plant-based drinks and products are more popular than ever.
Read MoreA recurring key question is whether a food product can have a picture of the fruit in question on it. When do you have to add "flavor"? The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has recently issued a manual that clarifies how the NVWA will enforce.
Read MoreFor a provider of dietary supplements or other health products it can often be difficult to assess what can or cannot be said about the effect of the product offered. If it contains herbal preparations (botanicals) this is even more complex.
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