18 June 2021
21SAF185
saturated fat by unsaturated fat and/or increased intake of PUFA or omega-3. Vegetable
oils and fats are a major contributor of polyunsaturated fats, which have proven health
benefits in a healthy diet, whilst at insufficient intake by several population groups.4
Replacing saturated fats by unsaturated fats - and particularly polyunsaturated
fats and omega 3 - can therefore play a role in contributing to healthier diet.
To empower consumers in benefiting from a meaningful and informed choice
which the Nutriscore pursues, in line with national, EU and international
scientific public bodies recommendations, FEDIOL calls for the consideration of
5
6 criteria into the Nutriscore
algorithm for those bottled vegetable oils and fats meeting such conditions. In
fats which
are already recommended by national, EU and international public bodies. This
would be the case of rapeseed oil, camelina oil, linseed oil, soybean oil, walnut
oil and mustard oil.
Whilst rapeseed oil, walnut oil and olive oil have been recently recognised under the
, other vegetable oils and fats also
possess very similar intrinsic properties, which should also equally be recognised. This is
the case of vegetable oils like camelina oil, linseed oil, soybean oil or mustard oil.
Considering equally such vegetable oils and fats which are also known and traditional
foods in some EU countries is also the approach advocated by WHO7 and in national
dietary guidelines 8 to increase the uptake of healthy diets. FEDIOL hence require
ingredients in final food products, hereby enabling the attribution of the same positive
points as those already granted when using rapeseed oil, olive oil or walnut oil when
reformulating food products.
In addition, to ensure alignment with existing national nutrition recommendations
whereby olive oil is also recommended in a healthy diet, FEDIOL proposes an adaptation
of the negative saturated fat ratio (adaptation of the threshold for the saturated fat ratio
as detailed in Annex 1), covering olive oil only.
These adaptations as detailed in Annex 1 ensure that bottled vegetables oils
and fats
and olive oil would fall
healthy diet. Other vegetable oils and fats not meeting such criteria would
remain at their current scoring.
4 Sioen I, van Lieshout L, Eilander A, Fleith M, Lohner S, Szommer A, Petisca C, Eussen S, Forsyth S,
Calder PC, Campoy C, Mensink RP. Systematic Review on N-3 and N-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake
in European Countries in Light of the Current Recommendations - Focus on Specific Population Groups.
Ann Nutr Metab. 2017;70(1):39-50. doi: 10.1159/000456723. Epub 2017 Feb 11.
5 See EFSA opinions on health claims
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/2203.pdf;http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/d
oc/1252.pdf
6 See EFSA opinions on health claims
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2168;https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wile
y.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2043;https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efs
a.2011.2203; https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2069
7 Safe and healthy food in traditional food markets in the WHO European Region, January 2021.
Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2021. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
8 See Annex 3.
2
