Health and green claims

The EU register of nutrition and health claims

Last checked 6 November 2026 · 4 sources

Short answer

In the European Union a health claim on food is banned until it is authorised and listed ¹. The rules come from Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, which started to apply on 1 July 2007 ². The Commission keeps a public register that lists all permitted nutrition claims and all authorised and non-authorised health claims ². The European Food Safety Authority checks the science, and the Commission and member states decide whether to authorise ³. The main list of permitted function claims is Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, applying from 14 December 2012 ⁴.

Main law: Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of 20 December 2006 ¹
Applied from: 1 July 2007 ²
List of permitted function claims: Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, applying from 14 December 2012 ⁴
Scientific assessor: European Food Safety Authority ³
Who authorises: European Commission and member states ³
Claims submitted by member states: More than 44,000, received on 31 January 2008 ⁴

Nutrition claims and health claims

EU law treats two kinds of claim. A nutrition claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties. A health claim is any statement about a relationship between food and health ².

Regulation 1924/2006 covers claims on labels, in presentation and in advertising ². Health claims are prohibited except where they meet the general requirements of the regulation and are authorised and included in the lists ¹.

The evidence standard

Claims must be based on and substantiated by accepted scientific data, and the food business operator making the claim must be able to justify it ¹. The regulation sets limits on some claim types. It bars health claims that refer to the rate or amount of weight loss, and claims that refer to recommendations of individual doctors or health professionals ¹.

Disease risk reduction claims may be made once authorised. The label must state that the disease has multiple risk factors ¹.

Types of health claim and EFSA's role

EFSA says it is responsible for verifying the scientific substantiation of submitted claims. The decision to authorise is made by the Commission and member states ³.

Claim type	What it covers	How it is assessed
Article 13(1) function claims	Role of a nutrient or substance in growth, development and body functions ¹	Placed on a positive list of permitted claims after EFSA review ³
Article 13(5) new function claims	Claims based on newly developed evidence ³	EFSA's panel assesses case by case and must give an opinion within five months ³
Article 14 claims	Reduction of disease risk, and children's development and health ³	EFSA gives an opinion within five months of validating the application ³

How the 2012 list was built

Regulation 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 sets out the list of permitted health claims other than those on disease risk reduction and children's development and health ⁴. Its recitals say the Commission received lists with more than 44,000 health claims from member states on 31 January 2008 ⁴.

EFSA published its opinions between October 2009 and July 2011 ⁴. Claims that did not receive a favourable assessment were not authorised ⁴. Claims on botanical substances, for which EFSA had not completed its evaluation, could continue to be used under the transitional rules in Article 28(5) and (6) of Regulation 1924/2006 ⁴.

Using the register

Search the register for the exact wording of an authorised claim and its conditions of use. Regulation 432/2012 says claims may be made only in line with the conditions in its Annex ⁴.
Check the status. The register lists authorised and non-authorised health claims ².
Read the EFSA opinion behind a claim for the scientific reasoning ³.
Check for updates. The Commission completed an evaluation of the regulation on 20 May 2020 ².

Common questions

Can I make a health claim on food in the EU without authorisation?

No. Regulation 1924/2006 prohibits health claims except where they comply with its rules and are authorised and included in the lists ¹.

Who decides if a health claim is authorised?

EFSA verifies the science. The Commission and member states decide on authorisation ³.

What does the EU register show?

The Commission says the register lists all permitted nutrition claims and all authorised and non-authorised health claims ².

Are weight loss claims allowed?

Health claims that refer to the rate or amount of weight loss are not allowed under Regulation 1924/2006 ¹.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@theclaimregistry.com.

Sources

Green and environmental claims rules compared
How the EU, UK CMA Green Claims Code, US FTC Green Guides and Australia's ACCC treat eco-friendly, carbon neutral and other environmental claims.
Advertising claim substantiation: what the rules require
What the US FTC, UK CAP Code, Canada, India, Australia and the EU require before an advertiser makes an objective claim, and who enforces each rule.
How UK ASA rulings work
How the UK Advertising Standards Authority rules on adverts, what upheld and not upheld mean, when rulings are published and what sanctions follow.