[Health Council report on health claims for foods and food supplements]

The Health Council of the Netherlands has issued a report on the health claims often made for foods and food supplements. It is concluded that the boundary between medical claims and health claims is not clear: there is no scientific or practical distinction between the 'prevention of disease' and the 'promotion and maintenance of health'. Only explicit, specific and evidence-based claims regarding the prevention, and possibly the treatment, of diseases or conditions are of any value to public health. If the impression is correct that the nutrient content of a product, a change in bodily function or a reduction of a disease risk factor reduces the likelihood of developing a certain disease, this effect should be stated explicitly. If the impression is not correct, then the claim is irrelevant and therefore misleading. A claim must always be supported by research involving human subjects and generally accepted scientific criteria must be adhered to.