Inulin on the label of an ice cream or yoghurt.

For five years, only one company could use the health claim for chicory inulin on a label. The regulation that authorised it set that itself.

Putting inulin in an ice cream or a yoghurt does not complicate the ingredients list; what can be said about it on the label does. Four steps:

1. It is an ingredient, not an additive. It is designated by its specific name (Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011) and has no E number: Article 3(2)(a)(xi) of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 does not consider it an additive.

2. "Fibre" is a legal definition. Under Annex I, point 12, of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, it means carbohydrate polymers with three or more monomeric units that are neither digested nor absorbed in the human small intestine; those obtained from raw material or synthetic ones also need a proven beneficial physiological effect. And under the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, "source of fibre" requires at least 3 g per 100 g (or 1.5 g per 100 kcal) and "high fibre", 6 g (or 3 g per 100 kcal).

3. The two authorised health claims are related to inulin:

· Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/854: foods and drinks in which non-digestible carbohydrates (which are neither hydrolysed nor absorbed in the small intestine) replace sugars. The claim states that "consumption induces a lower blood glucose rise after meal compared to sugar-containing foods or drinks", names all the carbohydrates used and requires the sugar reduction of "reduced": at least 30 % compared with a similar product.

· Regulation (EU) 2015/2314: "Native chicory inulin contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency". Only in foods that provide at least 12 g per day of native chicory inulin (unfractionated mixture, with an average degree of polymerisation of 9 or more), informing the consumer of that intake. Once the five years have passed, any operator can use it under the same conditions.

Every health claim adds what Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 requires: a varied and balanced diet, a healthy lifestyle, and the quantity and pattern of consumption needed.

4. "Prebiotic" is not among them. For the European Commission, saying that a food contains prebiotics implies a health benefit (it is a health claim), and none on "prebiotic" is authorised in the EU.

Whether a specific label complies depends on the formula, the serving and the wording. Informational content, not legal advice: the reference text is the one in the Official Journal of the EU.

What do you check first on a label with inulin: the ingredients or the claims on the front? If it is useful as a reference, save it.

If you would like to check any point with us, send us a direct message.

Because knowledge is also part of the supply.