On 16 November 2011 the European Commission published the list of health claims made on foods and referring to the reduction of disease risk (EU No 1170/2011) rejected in previous months by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Among those claims was a claim related to the role of water in the prevention of dehydration filed earlier this year by two German scientists. At the time, the claim had to be rejected by EFSA because it was filed under the wrong legal provision (Article 14 of Regulation 1924/2006/EC instead of Article 13). In short, Article 14 deals with diseases and illnesses whereas dehydration was not regarded by EFSA as a disease.
The press has misinterpreted the publication in the Official Journal by concluding that EFSA was challenging the role of water in the context of hydration. In fact nothing could be further from the truth!
EFSA, a strong supporter of water
In two recent scientific opinions, EFSA underlined the crucial role of water:
Water, a key role to play towards health
From a public health perspective, water has a key role to play towards a healthy diet, especially taking into account growing diabetes and obesity problems. Water should therefore be promoted and EFSA’s recent work goes clearly in that direction.
The European Federation of Bottled Waters fully supports EFSA’s efforts in promoting water. Without additives or calories, bottled water offers a truly natural and healthy choice which enables to stay hydrated throughout the day.
About EFBW
EFBW is the voice of the European bottled water industry. It raises awareness on the work the sector does to ensure that naturally sourced waters offer a high quality, pure and convenient way to hydrate, and represents a sustainable and responsible choice for European citizens. The federation represents more than 600 bottled water producers with approximately 158,000 direct employees.
Source: EFBW
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024