Label Claim Compliance

We help businesses ensure that the claims made on their product labels comply with applicable regulations and standards.

Our label claim compliance services assist businesses in navigating the complex landscape of labelling regulations and guidelines to ensure that product claims are accurate, substantiated, and compliant.

As consumers become increasingly aware of the link between their diet and their health, revising claims has become a fundamental step to understanding if a food or non-food product is right for them. In this context, many manufacturers regard claims as a handy marketing tool to distinguish their products from others in the market. There are laws around when and what types of claims can be made on a label to ensure consumers are not misled.

Understanding the Types of Claims for Product Labels

A claim is recognised as “any message or representation, which is not mandatory under the legislation and which suggests that a food has particular characteristics”. There are many types of claims that are made on product labels. These include:

• Health claims – refer to a relationship between a food category, food or ingredient and consumer health, such as ‘Zinc to support the immune system’. In Australia, these types of claims are only permitted on the label of foods that meet specific criteria set out in the Food Standards Code.
• Nutrition content claims – these are claims about the content of specific nutrients or substances in a food, such as a ‘source of fibre’.
• Consumer claims – claims that don’t fit into the above categories that are made to set the product apart from others on the market, such as ‘organic’, or ‘no preservatives’. These types of claims fall under Australian Consumer Law. They may have to meet applicable certifications to make the claim or be verified to ensure they are true and the statements are not misleading to consumers.
• Plant-based and vegan claims – our label claim compliance services can also assist when using terms such as ‘vegan‘, ‘vegetarian‘, or ‘plant-based‘. Label compliance is crucial for maintaining consumer trust and meeting new and upcoming regulatory standards. Accurate labeling provides transparency, helping consumers make informed choices based on their dietary preferences and ethical values. It also safeguards against misleading claims, reduces the risk of legal repercussions, and upholds the brand’s integrity.

We Assess label compliance for Food, Cosmetic, Disinfectant, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Products

Mérieux NutriSciences AQ’s Labelling team helps companies verify the conformity of their product labels in terms of ingredients, flavourings, and processing aids to make sure that the products are permitted in the countries where they are going to be marketed. The conformity of a product is determined by cross-referencing technical datasheets with their corresponding ingredients. This ensures that ingredients are reported in the final product accurately. 

Why Mérieux NutriSciences AQ Claim Compliance Services?

Did you know that country of origin statements as well as images on labels can also be considered product claims? There are many factors to consider when assessing the validity of labels and ensuring claim compliance can be a complex task.

By utilizing label claim compliance services, businesses can reduce the risk of misleading or false claims on their product labels, which can lead to regulatory issues, consumer complaints, or legal repercussions.

At Mérieux NutriSciences AQ, we have a team of labelling experts who can help you ensure that the claims made on product labels meet all legal requirements and achieve label compliance in different markets.