(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (2) shall apply from 1 July 2007. It shall apply to foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction but without prejudice to the specific rules of Commission Directive 96/8/EC of 26 February 1996 on foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction (3).

(2)

Directive 96/8/EC provides that the labelling, advertising and presentation of the products covered by that Directive shall not make any reference to the rate or amount of weight loss which may result from their use or to a reduction in the sense of hunger or an increase in the sense of satiety.

(3)

Article 13(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 allows the use on foods of health claims describing or referring in particular to a reduction in the sense of hunger or an increase in the sense of satiety under specified conditions.

(4)

Allowing claims referring to a reduction in the sense of hunger or an increase in the sense of satiety under the condition that such claims are based on generally accepted scientific evidence and are well understood by the average consumer reflects the evolution in the range and properties of products.

(5)

This reasoning is all the more relevant to products for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction. Therefore the use of such claims should no longer be prohibited provided that the conditions laid down in Article 13, paragraph 1 of Regulation 1924/2006/EC are fulfilled.

(6)

The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,