Modern life with a wealth of new possibilities and ever-increasing amounts of information can be exciting and stimulating – but also burdening. While navigating through busy schedules there may not seem to be time to think about healthy lifestyle choices, or their impact on overall well-being. Yet a balanced diet, appropriate portions and an even energy flow throughout the day, enough rest, and regular exercise help get through the day’s activities – playing, studying or working - and to feel well at all stages of life.
The challenge is that when life feels hectic and you’d most need to take care of yourself, even thinking about eating healthily can feel like an extra burden. We at Fazer Brainhow program want to develop products and services that help you make healthy choices easily. Fazer Brainhow brain friendly foods and services are good for the brain and cognitive functions, and thus benefit overall well-being.
work in close co-operation with health authorities and decision makers and follow nutrition research closely. We also follow the Nordic nutrition recommendations in our operations and product development.
EU health claims and Fazer Brainhow
A health claim is a statement on product packaging or other commercial communications highlighting that consuming a food can be beneficial to health.Health claims are used to show a connection between nutrients and health benefits that are backed by scientific evidence. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) verifies the scientific evidence related to health claims, after which the European Commission and Member States decide whether to authorize the claims.
Authorized health claims can be functional claims related to how a certain nutrient or other component in food functions in a human body. Health claims can also be about minimizing the risk factors for specific illnesses, or children’s growth and development.
A health claim related to a specific nutrient alone is not enough to guarantee that the product helps maintain or improve health, because the benefits are based on the sufficient intake of the nutrientfrom a normal daily consumption of the food as part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
In Fazer Brainhow, we use health claims related to brain or cognitive performance if a product contains a sufficient amount of the nutrient, as specified in the table below. Information on how much of the nutrient the product contains is shown on product packaging. In Fazer Food Services, we also design menus, calculate recipes and make sure that Fazer Brainhow labelled foods contain sufficient amounts of nutrients and can carry a health claim.
| Approved health claim | The mininum amount of the nutrient in a product bearing the health claim: 15% * per 100 g or 100 ml, or according to a separate specification |
| Nervous system | |
| Nutrients that contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system | Vitamin C 12 mg Thiamine 0,17 mg Riboflavin 0,21 mg Niacin 2,4 mg Vitamin B12 0,38 mg Biotin 7,5 mg Potassium 300 mg Magnesium 56,3 mg Iodine 22,5 µg |
| Nutrients that contribute to normal neurotransmission | Calcium 120 mg |
| Oxidative stress | |
| Nutrients that contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress | Vitamin E 1,8 mg Vitamin C 12 mg Riboflavin 0,12 mg Zinc 1,5 mg Copper 0,2 mg Manganese 0,3 mg Selenium 8,3 mg |
| Cognitive functions, e.g. learning, memory, ability to concentrate | |
| Nutrients that contribute to normal brain function | DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), 40 mg per 100 g ja 100 kcal Carbohydrates, 130 g daily intake from products that contain less sugar or no added sugar |
| Nutrients that contribute to normal cognitive function | Water, 2 litres per day Iron 2,1 mg Zinc 1,5 mg Iodine 22,5 µg |
| Nutrients that contribute to normal psychological function | Thiamine 0,17 mg Niacin 2,4 mg Folate 30 µg Vitamin B12 0,38 µg Biotin 7,5 µg Vitamin C 12 mg Magnesium 56,3 mg |
| Mental performance | |
| Nutrients that contribute to normal mental performance | Pantothenic acid 0,9 mg |
| Nutrients that contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue | Riboflavin 0,21 mg Niacin 2,4 mg Vitamin B6 0,21 mg Folate 30 µg Vitamin B12 0,38 µg Pantothenic acid 0,9 µg Vitamin C 12 mg Magnesium 56,3 mg Iron 2,1 mg |
| Children’s growth and development | |
| Nutrients that are needed for normal growth and development of bone in children | Protein, 12 % of overall daily energy intake Vitamin D 0,8 µg Calcium 120 mg |
| Nutrients that are needed for normal growth and development of children | Essential fatty acids, daily intake 2 g α-linolenic acid (ALA) or 10 g linolenic acid (LA) |
| Nutrients that contribute to the normal growth of children | Iodine 22,5 µg |
| Nutrients that contribute to normal cognitive development of children | Iron 2,1 mg |
| Muscle mass and bones | |
| Nutrients that contribute to a growth in and maintenance of muscle mass | Protein, 12 % of overall daily energy intake |
| Nutrients that contribute to the maintenance of normal bones | Protein, 12 % of overall daily energy intake Calcium 120 mg |
*15 % of reference daily intake (100 g or ml, other than drinks)
7,5 % of reference daily intake (100 ml, drinks)
15 % of reference daily intake, if the package contains only one portion.
Read more:
Nordic nutrition recommendations
Finnish nutrition recommendations