Brussels, 06/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - The hopes of the Parliamentary committee on the environment were dashed as regards barring all attempts to make claims for the benefits to health of putting DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a fatty acid present in its natural state in breastmilk, and in synthetic form in many milk-based baby preparations, into baby food (EUROPE 10339).
In Strasbourg on Wednesday 6 April, the European Parliament rejected the draft resolution opposing the authorisation within the EU of the health claim that putting synthetic DHA in baby food “helps towards the normal eye development of infants of up to 12 months”. The text, which was drafted by MEPs of the S&D Group, failed to rally the required qualified majority of 368 (328 took position in favour, 323 against and 26 abstained). This draft invoked the absence of clear scientific consensus on the effect of DHA-enriched preparations on infants, and stressed that greater research was needed into the possible effects, both beneficial and harmful, of DHA supplements and that this health claim could be misleading.
It is worth noting that after a scientific assessment, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave its green light to the use of this health claim by producers, under the regulation which harmonises the use of nutritional health claims relating to foodstuffs within the EU (Regulation 109/2008/EC). The regulation authorising this health claim will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal. BEUC is disappointed that the Parliament had not heeded its calls to “veto” “the use of an unfounded and misleading claim”. (A.N./transl.fl)