The list adopted by the Commission, which is based on sound scientific advice, is a list of health claims on food labelling and in advertising, for example on the role of calcium and bone health or vitamin C and the immune system, have become vital marketing tools to attract consumers' attention.

The European Commission adopted a list of 222 permitted health claims on food labelling and in advertising on 16 of May. In November 2011, Commission discussed with Member States the list of permitted health claims to be authorised on food. According to the European Institution, the list also provides legal clarity to food manufacturers on the health claims they can or cannot make. The administrative burden will also be reduced, since all enforcement authorities will from now on be able to rely on one list of authorised health claims and their conditions of use to verify if a claim is misleading or not.

As required by Regulation (EC) Nº 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, claims for which the authorisation process is complete will be listed in the Union Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods. Food manufacturers will have a period of 6 months to adapt their practices to the new requirements. As from the beginning of December 2012 all claims that are not authorised and not on hold/under consideration shall be prohibited.

The Commission also informed that Member States submitted lists of about 44,000 health claims in 2008, which were consolidated by the Commission into a list of some 4,600. By 2010 these claims were sent to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which conducted a scientific assessment of whether the claims could be substantiated.