title: Use of published research in paediatric nutrition for the scientific substantiation of health claims referring to children's development and health.
abstract: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides policy makers with scientific and technical advice in relation to food safety and human nutrition in an independent and transparent way, and communicates such advice to the general public. Requirements for the scientific substantiation of health claims referring to children's development and health are the same as for other health claims. However, children (particularly infants) have peculiarities which should be taken into account, because these may impair the extrapolation of results to other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health claims used in commercial communications should be authorized only after a scientific assessment of the highest possible standard by EFSA. EFSA's negative opinions on rejected claims should not be read as a criticism to research studies published in paediatric nutrition but rather highlight their limitations in relation to the substantiation of specific health claims made on foods.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Unit, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valtueña Martínez
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agostoni
mesh_terms: D000329:Advertising / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005060:Europe; D005502:Food; D059022:Food Safety; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007881:Legislation, Food; D018673:Nutrition Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D009753:Nutritive Value
keywords: Development; Food products; Growth