The low glycaemic index (GI) revolution could die an early death unless the food industry persuades regulators that claims about hunger management don't need to go through the controversial prior approvals process in Europe, experts have warned.
Given that the latest version of the European nutrition and health claims proposal does not permit direct references to the GI, manufacturers' only hope of capitalising on the low-GI trend would be to make references to hunger management or slow release of energy, said Dr Nino Binns, a leading independent consultant in nutrition and regulatory affairs.
However, it seems likely that these kinds of references are not going to get on to the 'positive list' of generally accepted health claims and manufacturers will instead have to go through a lengthy and controversial prior approvals process for registering new claims, said Binns.
They could then face a three-year wait for approval under the new system, she warned. “The dossier backing your claim goes to your member state, then to the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), then backwards and forwards through the European Commission, member states, expert groups and the standing committees. Basically, you could be waiting years.”
She added: “There has been a lot of lobbying on this issue, both to get the term GI added to the annex of nutritional claims and to get hunger claims on to the positive list, but there has been a closed door.”
The nutrition and health claims regulation will go to a plenary session of the European Parliament on May 17, and could become law by the summer.