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AIJN Ordinary General Assembly, 31 May 2007
AGD 6.1 Draft AIJN Position Paper on Nutrient Profiles for Fruit &
Vegetable Juices, Nectars and Fruit-based Drinks
Upon a proposal of the REG Expert Group the Technical Committee approved on
March 14 an AIJN position paper on Nutrient Profiles for Juices, Nectars and other
Juice Products. After further consultation with EAS, the consultants agency which
assists AIJN in defining and carrying out a lobby strategy on nutrient profiles, the REG
Expert Group substantially modified the paper which had been approved by the TC.
This modified position paper is submitted to the General Assembly for discussion and
adoption. Also the proposed strategy will be presented to the Assembly.
Draft AIJN Position Paper on Nutrient Profiles for Fruit & Vegetable
Juices, Nectars and Fruit-based Drinks
The regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nutrition and health claims
made on foods (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006), that entered into force on 19 January 2006,
established the condition to comply with a nutrient profile for bearing nutrition and health
claims. Article 4 sets the principles and conditions the European Commission, upon the
advice of EFSA, should take into account for defining those nutrient profiles.
The European Commission has in the mean time formulated a request to EFSA to provide
scientific advise on the establishment of nutrient profiles and more specifically relating to the
five questions that are specified in article 4 of Regulation 1924/2006:
 whether profiles should be set for food in general and/or categories of food;
 the choice and balance of nutrients to be taken into account;
 the choice of reference quantity/basis for profiles;
 the approach to the calculation of the profiles; and
 the feasibility and testing of a proposed system.
AIJN represents the manufacturers of fruit and vegetable juices, nectar and other juice based
products and would offer its views on how these questions could be applied to this product
category.
Principles:
1. Nutrient profiles should be considered per category of food and based on sound
scientific principles
AIJN believes that any nutrient profile scheme should be based on sound nutrition science and
established per category of foods. Only in this way will it stand the test of credibility, be
coherently applicable and serve its ultimate purpose of consumer protection.
The profiling system should take into account the nutrients of health concern as listed under
article 4.1 (a) but equally the beneficial nutrients, food and food components consumers are
encouraged to increase their intake of.
Meeting Documents AIJN GA 31 May 2007
Therefore, the system should fully consider the overall composition of a given food and
evaluate this in the light of its contribution to the overall diet.
2. The categorisation of juices, nectars and other juice products as part of fruits and
vegetables
a) Fruit and vegetables juices
Fruit and vegetable juices are derived from fruits and vegetables by physical means and
minimally processed to ensure microbiological safety. Such juices can also be sold with added
constituents such as vitamins, minerals or other functional ingredients.
AIJN strongly believes that such fruit and vegetable juices 1 are equivalent to fruits and
vegetables. Such products have a similar composition and contain most of the beneficial
constituents that are naturally present in fruits and vegetables, including many vitamins and
minerals and other constituents with a physiological effect (such as polyphenols, carotenoids,
lycopene, etc ) and contribute significantly to the intake of these beneficial nutritional
constituents. For this reason many EU member states’ dietary recommendations clearly
consider fruit juices as a valid portion of the 5-a day of fruits and vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables juices are minimally processed 1. Their composition as for unprocessed
foods cannot be modified by technological means.
b) Nectars and other high juice containing drinks
For some fruits it is not possible to extract the juice (e.g. apricot, peach and most exotic
fruits…), some others are not palatable (acidic or saur: blackcurrant, cranberry…). In such
cases, water and possibly sugar are added to the fruit puree or to the juice to yield a drinkable
fruit drink. Such products are referred to as nectars or high juice containing drinks.
Such products still contain a substantial amount of fruit and may contribute significantly to
the intake of fruit and vegetables.
AIJN therefore considers that nectars and high juice containing drinks with a minimal fruit
content of 50% clearly form part of the category of processed fruits and vegetables and should
be considered in the same way, should criteria for nutrient profiling be judged necessary.
Indeed, as processed fruits and vegetables that are often processed with addition of sugar and
salt to increase microbial safety but are nevertheless a valid source of fruit and vegetables.
3. The implications of nutrient profiling criteria for fruit juices
a) Fruit and vegetable juices
Most dietary recommendations emphasise the importance of sufficient intake of fruits and
vegetables as an important preventive factor against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular
disease and certain types of cancer (add corresponding WHO references). This is exemplified
by the many 5-a-day campaigns that are promoted in many of the Member States. It would be
rather contrary to the intention of the system if nutrient profile criteria would be set for fruit
and vegetables, with no added sugars or added salt. AIJN strongly recommends that such
products should be exempted from nutrient profiles.
1
Without the addition of sugars or salt (sodium) but eventually with the addition of functional nutrients and
ingredients
2
Under minimal processing in relation to fruits and vegetables is understood : washing, peeling, slicing, grating,
homogenizing, blanching, cooking, freezing, pasteurising, sterilising, etc.
Meeting Documents AIJN GA 31 May 2007
b) Fruit nectars and high juice containing drinks (> 50% of fruit or vegetables)
If criteria for nutrient profiling would be deemed necessary for processed fruits and
vegetables, these should also apply in the same way to fruit nectars and high juice containing
drinks (> 50% of fruit or vegetables). It should be taken into account that the quantity of
naturally occurring sugars in fruits and vegetables is highly variable (7 to 15 g /100 ml for
fruit juice and 3 to 10 g /100 ml for vegetable juice), In these products the addition of sugars
is limited to what is technologically required. AIJN believes that the quantity of added sugars
should be retained when setting a criteria for sugars in those products. The threshold may be
set at 7 g/100 ml which would then make that the total sugars content (naturally present or
added) equal or below the natural content of sugars of the fruit and/or the juice from which it
comes.
c) Vegetable juices
For ensuring a palatable taste, vegetable juice cannot be consumed without adding sodium
(except when mixed with fruit juice). If criteria for sodium was set for those products this
needs should be taken into consideration. AIJN recommends to establish this level at 320 mg
per 100 ml.
Meeting Documents AIJN GA 31 May 2007