The European Parliament has vetoed a health claim linking carbohydrate consumption to normal brain function after objections that it could promote sugar consumption.

The claim, that “carbohydrates contribute to the maintenance of normal brain function”, was rejected by just one vote by the parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee last week, despite  an EFSA panel’s conclusion in 2011 that “a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of glycaemic carbohydrates and maintenance of normal brain function”.

Some member states had suggested that the authorisation of such a claim could be “potentially confusing to the consumer, particularly in light of national dietary advice to reduce sugars consumption.”

The Commission had said that further analysis was needed to set conditions on the use of the claim, and had set out a number of proposed restrictions for its use, including complying with the nutrition claims for ‘low sugars’ or ‘no added sugars’.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Legislation/European-Parliament-rejects-carbohydrate-health-claim