Health claims made on food in the EU: The edge between scientific knowledge and regulatory requirements

How health claims are scientifically assessed by EFSA has not been fully understood by stakeholders yet. Thorough knowledge on how EU legislation translates into scientific requirements for substantiation is essential to building successful applications. Other factors which may play a role in the authorisation of a claim and which are not evaluated by EFSA, such as the legal status of the food/constituent, its safety, or the compatibility of the claim with national and international dietary recommendations, should also be considered early in the process. EFSA is committed to providing further guidance to stakeholders on how to prepare applications for authorisation by making use of its 10 years of experience on the scientific evaluation of health claims made on food.