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Codex drops gold standard approach

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation/Codex-drops-gold-standard-approach/?c\

=ZA7nJxzIpKEIaDwNj52g2g%3D%3D

 

By Shane Starling, 12-Nov-2008

The World Health Organization’s food supplements regulation guideline body,

Codex, has broadened its definition of what can be considered worthy scientific

evidence to back health claims.

The move has been welcomed by industry, which was concerned about the ‘gold

standard’ approach Codexhad been pursuing that favoured human intervention

studies over kinds of evidence such as epidemiological studies.

 

In a Codex Nutrition Committee meeting in South Africa last week Codex eased its

position to acknowledge that all forms of scientific evidence should be

considered when assessing the veracity of a health claim.

 

It removed the word ‘clinical’ from its text after it met with government and

non-governmental organisations.

 

The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) said

Codex’s revised position had brought it close to being in alignment with its own

‘Recommendations on the Scientific Basis of Health Claims’.

 

While IADSAacknowledged human intervention studies can provide the strongest

evidence, it argued other forms of backing should not be discounted out of hand.

 

Codex’s statement of intent comes at a time when the European Union has begun

assessing thousands of health claim submissions. Its scientific assessment arm,

the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has drawn criticism for favouring

human intervention trials.

 

Unlike Codex, EFSA has indicated its methodologies will not be changing as they

are bound by the nutrition and health claimsregulation of 2006.

 

Codex had previously stated short-term clinical human intervention studies in

healthy subjects should be the prime source of evidence in claims

substantiation.

 

“We are very pleased with the Codex Nutrition Committee’s decision,” said IADSA

chairman, Byron Johnson. “A number of different types of studies can show the

relationship between a food constituent and a health outcome. A simple

hierarchical approach to evidence on causal links cannot rely only on randomised

controlled human intervention trials, and each type of study can provide a

different type of evidence.”

 

The text is expected to be adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July

next year.

IADSA represents more than 50 trade associations and 20,000 companies.