A standard for health and nutrition claims
Standard 1.2.7, Nutrition, Health and Related Claims is part of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Requirements for health and nutrition claims are detailed in schedules 4, 5, and 6. The standard sets out the requirements for making a nutrition content claim or health claim on a food product.
Standard 1.2.7 – Australian Federal Register of Legislation
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – FSANZ
Why the standard was introduced
Standard 1.2.7 was developed to:
- reduce misleading health claims on food products
- increase consumer confidence in food labels
- give businesses a chance to innovate and promote new products with proven health benefits.
Requirements when making a health claim
Health claims can be made only for food products that meet certain nutrition requirements. A scoring system is used to find out if a food is eligible. This is called "nutrient profiling scoring criterion" (NPSC). It calculates how nutritious a food is based on positive and negative attributes.
- Positive attributes include protein, fibre, and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a product.
- Negative attributes include total amount of energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium in the product.
Health claims must be supported by sound scientific evidence. Some claims may have been pre-approved by FSANZ in schedule 4 of the Food Standards Code. If not, you'll have to provide the evidence. This is called self-substantiation, and is only possible for general level health claims.
Find out how to make and substantiate a claim
International regulation
MPI supports the food industry to ensure that New Zealand health claims are more likely to meet international standards. This improves the status of New Zealand-sourced health claims.
An overview document outlines how health claims are regulated in other countries.
Global Regulatory Environment of Health Claims on Foods [PDF, 3 MB]
Imported and exported food
Exported and imported foods in New Zealand need to comply with Standard 1.2.7.
Exported foods must have an export certificate and also meet the standards of the importing country.
In some cases, you may be able to export foods that don't meet New Zealand's health claims requirements. You will need to apply for an exemption and prove that the importing country accepts your health claims.
Who to contact
If you have questions about health claims regulations, email health.claims@mpi.govt.nz
