The need for an alternative health claim process for foods based on both nutrient and contaminant profiles

Background Most authorized health claims on foods have been established on the basis of single dietary components, mainly micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and possibly bioactives. Failure to sufficiently define and characterize the nutritional profile of a food product is one of the main reasons of rejection or incomplete status for thousands of health claim applications, while the food’s contaminant profile is simply not accounted for. Objective The objective of this work was to highlight the accumulating scientific evidence supporting a reform of the health claim evaluation process for foods towards more holistic approaches. Methods This would entail the characterization of multiple nutrient-contaminant pairs and contaminant mixture profiles, at contaminant levels currently considered “safe”, including their interactions that would impact human health outcome(s) in a net positive or negative direction. Results The notion of a stable nutritional profile in food commodities has been challenged by studies reporting a variable food contaminant content and a declining content of proteins/micronutrients in crops due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Conclusion A holistic approach in the health claim process for foods would entail the incorporation of cumulative risk assessment and/or risk-benefit protocols that effectively combine health risks and benefits associated with multiple nutritional and contaminant attributes of the food/diet under evaluation.