Health store owners could face serious restric- tions on their ability to communicate the health benefits of the products they sell.
That’s the warning from manufacturers and brand owners who fear that retailers are unaware of the impact that the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation (NHCR) may have on them.
Some industry experts believe that retailers who use condition-based signage in store – for example ‘digestive health’ or ‘heart health’ – could be seen to be making claims for products sold close to them.
Expert panelists at the HFMA Health Claims Workshop confirmed that in- store signage could be con- sidered as ‘commercial com- munication’ – and therefore fall within the reach of the new regulation which comes into force in December 2012.
