The Cyprus Internation Institute for Environmental and Public Health has submitted a health claim appliucation on organic foods and their contribution to the protection of body cells and molecules (lipids and DNA) from oxidative damages pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. The health claim has been submitted pursuant to Article 14 since it refers to children’s development and health.

EFSA has rejected this health claim due to an insufficient characterization of the food. Indeed, organic foods are claimed to contain less pesticides than conventional foods. The NDA Panel noted, however, that in the application and the human studies submitted the nutritional composition and the pesticide concentration in ‘organic food’ are not reported. Therefore, the lack of characterization of the organic foods has lead to the rejection of the claim.

EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens), Turck D, Bohn T, Castenmiller J, De Henauw S, Hirsch-Ernst KI, Knutsen HK, Maciuk A, Mangelsdorf I, McArdle HJ, Naska A, Pelaez C, Pentieva K, Thies F, Tsabouri S, Vinceti M, Bresson J-L and Siani A, 2021. Scientific Opinion on the organic foods and contribution to the protection of body cells and molecules (lipids and DNA) from oxidative damage: evaluation of a health claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal 2021;19(10):6847.