Restricting hydration-related claims to water only ignores EFSA advice and breaches European law

Brussels, 5 December 2011 - The Commission’s proposal to restrict the use of the water/hydration claims to water only would mark a move away from science-based policy-making and ignore the EFSA recommendation.

As the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health prepares to meet on 5 December, to discuss the list of permitted Article 13.1 health claims in the Annex to the draft Commission Regulation; the Union of European Beverages Associations calls for common sense to prevail.

“The science clearly tells us that all non-alcoholic beverages play a role in hydration” said Alain Beaumont, secretary general of UNESDA. 

UNESDA underlined that consumers also understand that all non-alcoholic drinks hydrate and warned against the consequences of consumers questioning their belief in the benefit of drinking wide range of fluids.

Furthermore UNESDA believes that the adoption of these restrictions would not stand legal scrutiny as it would be a breach of the General Food Law Regulation 178/2002 and of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation 1924/2006.

"The proposed restriction to plain water of the "water" health claims would be tantamount to the setting of de facto ad-hoc nutrient profiles and this lacks any legal basis under the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation,” continued Beaumont.

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For further information please contact: Ms Sam Rowe, +32 475 361286 srowe@agep.eu

UNESDA represents a substantial part of the European non-alcoholic beverages industry, uniting all major producers of non-alcoholic beverages (carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, bottled water, sports and energy drinks) as well as this industry’s trade associations in 25 countries. The European beverages market totals some 123 billion litres per year