NIU’s Global Round-up: Thailand’s new health claims framework, UK ad watchdog slams skin supplement claims, and more

Asia​

Thailand unveils new health claims framework ​

According to a scoop by NutraIngredients-Asia, Thailand is expanding the number of nutrient function claims as it introduces a new framework to align with changes at the CODEX level.

Dr Anadi Nitithamyong, VP for academic affairs of Food Science and Technology Association of Thailand (FoSTAT) and a member of the drafting committee, told our Asia edition that the new guidelines for nutrient function claims were finalized and awaiting publication.

The guidelines will see an expansion in the number of nutrient function claims from 29 to two to three times more.

“For example, in the past, you can only use one or two functional health claims related to calcium. Now, there is maybe three or four claims available for use,” ​said Dr Nitithamyong.

For more on this story, please click HERE​​.

Europe​

UK’s Advertising Standards Authority slams Seven Seas for skin supplement claims​

Reiterating that only health claims listed as authorized on the EU Register of nutrition and health claims (the EU Register) can be made, the UK’s ASA has cited P&G affiliate Seven Seas for violating marketing communication codes for misleading and unauthorized claims in a magazine ad for its Perfect 7 Renewal Advanced skin health supplements.

The ad claims the product uses a “unique formulation containing ceramosides. A natural source of ceramides, for more hydrated looking skin, from within”.​

The advertisement also features text positioned over a women’s cheek stating: “wrinkles appearance reduction, skin firmness, skin moisture, skin smoothness. Skin elasticity, skin radiance and skin softness”.​

Upholding the final decision, ASA instructed Seven Seas not to use the ad in its current form instructing the firm to “ensure that their future advertising did not include specific health claims that were not authorised on the EU Register and to ensure that they held robust evidence to substantiate cosmetic claims”.​

In response, Seven Seas said both of these were cosmetic claims and provided a copy of a randomized clinical trial substantiating the claims “skin moisture”​ and “for more hydrated skin, from within”.​

For more on this story from NutraIngredients Europe, please click HERE​​.

LATAM​

Amazon cherry offers healthy aging potential​

A study by Brazilian researchers indicated that extracts from pedra-ume caá cherry (Eugenia punicifolia​) may provide nutraceuticals healthy aging.

Data published in Food Research International​​ showed that quercitrin and myricitrin – glycosylated flavonoids – may be responsible for the antiglycant and antioxidant activities.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are non-enzymatic modifications of proteins or lipids after exposure to sugars. They forms in the presence of excess blood sugar, and naturally as we age, so reducing the formation of AGEs may support healthy aging and may even prolong lifespan.

The researchers also successfully encapsulated the bioactives using “highly hydrolyzed” maltodexrins to achieve encapsulation efficiency and retention efficiency were 89.7% and 97.6%, respectively.

The fact the pedra-ume caá fruit juice had been successfully encapsulated, they said, “may represent a promising alternative for the development of a nutraceutical product with antiglycant and antioxidant properties”​.

For more on this story, please click HERE​​.