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Legal Arrangements On Food Advertisements And Health Declarations
2. LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR FOOD ADVERTISEMENTS
A. Advertising Limitations on Health Declaration
According to the Turkish Food Codex Regulation on Nutrition and Health Declarations (“Regulation on Nutrition and Health Declarations”), the health declaration, which is a factor shaping the sales policies of the companies; defined as a statement that suggests or implies the health relationship of any food group, food, or food components. In this regard, as an example of the health declaration; the following statements may be shown.
- “Calcium is essential for the preservation of normal bones.” or “Calcium is essential for the protection of normal teeth.”
- “Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system.”
- “Meat or fish contribute to the improvement of iron absorption when consumed with other foods containing iron.”
- “Walnuts contribute to increased flexibility of the veins.”
- “Phosphorus is essential for normal growth and bone development in children.”
- Shall not be ambiguous, false or misleading.
- Shall not be in doubt of the nutritional adequacy or reliability of other foods.
- Shall not be such as to support or encourage excessive consumption of a particular food.
- Shall not be said to suggest or imply that a varied and balanced diet cannot generally provide nutrients in appropriate quantities.
- In a way that may cause concern in the consumer; Shall not be in a way to refer to changes in body functions through written, illustrated, graphic or symbolic representations.
- Maximum 100 mg / 100 kcal sodium in its composition,
- Maximum 10% of the energy it contains comes from saturated fatty acids,
- Maximum 10% of the energy it contains comes from added sugar,
- Naturally, it contains at least 55 mg / 100 kcal calcium in its composition.
- Trademark or proper name in the labelling, presentation or advertisement of a food that may be interpreted as a nutrition or health declaration, may be used provided that the relevant nutritional or health declaration conditions in the Nutrition and Health Declarations Regulation are met and the related declaration is made.
- Instead of the nutritional or health declaration expressions in the labeling, presentation or advertisement of a food, the use of equivalent expressions so as not to change and strengthen the meaning is determined by the guide to be published by the Ministry.
- Shall not be done at the beginning and end of children’s programs or inside these programs.
- In the event that it is carried out with or in other programs, It should be made with the written warnings prepared by the Ministry of Health, which can be easily read by the audience at the bottom of the screen, will be broadcast as a flowing band and includes statements that encourage regular and balanced nutrition.