Weight control on the label: which claims the EU authorises.

Of glucomannan, chromium, chitosan and berberine, only one has a claim in the EU list that lets you say on the label that it “helps you lose weight”, and only under conditions: an energy-restricted diet, 1 g of glucomannan per quantified portion and a choking warning.

This article sets out, with the full conditions, what the “La letra pequeña” (The fine print) LinkedIn carousel can only summarise: the rule, the authorised claims, the refused ones, where berberine stands and a checklist for reading a label. It is general information on public regulation.

In one line. Situation 1, a weight claim with conditions: glucomannan. Situation 2, an authorised claim that is not about weight: chromium and chitosan. Situation 3, no claim in the list (berberine) or a refused claim (standardised white bean extract, germinated brown rice).

1. The starting rule

The base text is Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, applicable from 1 July 2007. It applies to claims made in commercial communications on foods intended for the final consumer (Article 1(2)).

For health claims, Article 10(1) is the key: they are prohibited unless they are authorised and included in the lists referred to in Articles 13 and 14 of the same regulation. Article 13 covers, among others, claims on slimming or weight control, and on the sensation of hunger or satiety.

The list is in Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children's development and health. It was published in OJ L 136 on 25 May 2012 and has applied since 14 December 2012.

The claims in this article are quoted from the original text of Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. That regulation has been amended since: before using a claim on a label, check its current consolidated version on EUR-Lex and the EU Register of nutrition and health claims.

2. Situation 1 — A weight claim, with conditions: glucomannan

“Glucomannan in the context of an energy restricted diet contributes to weight loss.” That is the wording in the list. Conditions of use: the claim may be used only for food which contains 1 g of glucomannan per quantified portion, and the consumer must be told that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of glucomannan, in three doses of 1 g each, together with one or two glasses of water, before meals and in the context of an energy-restricted diet.

Required warning: a choking warning must be given for people with swallowing difficulties or when taken with inadequate fluid intake, together with advice on taking the product with plenty of water to ensure the substance reaches the stomach.

Glucomannan has a second claim in the list, which is not about weight: “contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels”, only for food providing a daily intake of 4 g of glucomannan and with the same choking warning.

3. Situation 2 — An authorised claim that is not about weight: chromium and chitosan

Chromium. The list has two claims: “Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism” and “Chromium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels”. Both may be used only for food which is at least a source of trivalent chromium, as referred to in the claim “SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S]” listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.

Chitosan. One claim: “Chitosan contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels”. Only for food providing a daily intake of 3 g of chitosan, and the consumer must be told that the beneficial effect is obtained with that daily intake of 3 g.

None of these three claims is about weight. An ingredient having an authorised claim does not turn that claim into a weight claim: what counts is its exact wording and its conditions.

4. Situation 3 — No claim in the list, or a refused one: berberine, white bean extract and germinated brown rice

Berberine. It is an alkaloid found in plants such as Hydrastis canadensis and those of the genus Berberis (PubChem). It does not appear in the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 432/2012. A substance not appearing in that list only means it has no authorised claim in it; its safety is assessed through another route, such as the one below.

What EFSA is doing. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) is assessing the safety of plant preparations containing berberine under Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. On 29 January 2026, its NDA Panel (nutrition, novel foods and food allergens) endorsed a draft opinion, put out for public consultation between 3 March and 11 May 2026. The plants assessed include Berberis aristata, B. vulgaris, B. aquifolium, Chelidonium majus and Hydrastis canadensis.

The draft's conclusion, according to the slides EFSA presented to food businesses on 22 April 2026, is that “the available data do not allow establishing a safe intake for humans for any preparations of the plant species, and plant parts thereof, included in the assessment”. One of the reasons given in the draft itself: except for Hydrastis canadensis, the toxicity profiles of the other species, beyond their berberine content, remain largely unknown due to the lack of adequate toxicity studies.

It is a draft, not a decision. As of 4 November 2026, no final EFSA opinion on berberine has been found. After an opinion, the Commission may decide to include a substance in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 (on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods), titled “Substances whose use in foods is prohibited, restricted or under Community scrutiny”. It has three parts: Part A lists prohibited substances; Part B, restricted substances, which may be used only under the conditions set in that part; and Part C, substances under Community scrutiny where scientific uncertainty persists.

Two refusals. Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/371 of 15 March 2016 (OJ L 70, 16.3.2016), refusing to authorise certain health claims made on foods, refuses among others the claim “Helps to reduce body weight” for a standardised aqueous extract of white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; EFSA question EFSA-Q-2013-00973). According to its recitals, the information provided was not enough to establish the cause-and-effect relationship.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1556 of 17 October 2018 (OJ L 261, 18.10.2018), which also refuses to authorise certain health claims made on foods, refuses among others the claim “in the context of an energy-restricted diet contributes to weight loss” for germinated brown rice (EFSA question EFSA-Q-2017-00032). Its recitals refer to EFSA opinions that did not establish that cause-and-effect relationship with the data provided. A refusal concerns a specific claim submitted with specific data.

5. How to read a label: six questions

Is the claim in the Union list? It is the entry requirement (Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). The wording on the label is compared with the corresponding entry of Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, in its current consolidated version.

Are that entry's conditions of use met? Ingredient, amount per portion or daily intake, doses and warnings, as with glucomannan (1 g per quantified portion, 3 g a day in three doses and a choking warning) or chitosan (3 g a day).

Does it carry the information required by Article 10(2)? A statement on the importance of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle; the quantity of the food and pattern of consumption required to obtain the claimed beneficial effect; where appropriate, a statement addressed to persons who should avoid the food; and an appropriate warning for products that could pose a health risk if consumed to excess.

Is there anything Article 12 does not allow? Among the restrictions of that article are claims suggesting that health could be affected by not consuming the food and those referring to the rate or amount of weight loss.

Does it meet the general principles of Article 3? Among other things, a claim must not be false, ambiguous or misleading; must not give rise to doubt about the safety or nutritional adequacy of other foods; must not encourage or condone excess consumption of a food, or suggest that a balanced and varied diet cannot provide appropriate quantities of nutrients in general.

Can it be justified? Article 6 requires claims to be based on generally accepted scientific evidence; the food business operator making the claim must justify its use, and the competent authorities of the Member States may ask for the elements and data showing compliance with the regulation.

The answer to each question depends on the formula, the portion and the wording of each label: this article does not replace the review by your regulatory manager.

6. Frequently asked questions from labelling teams

Does a claim authorised for an ingredient apply to any food containing it?

No. Each entry in the list sets its own conditions of use: for example, the weight claim for glucomannan may be used only for food containing 1 g of glucomannan per quantified portion, and the one for chitosan only for food providing a daily intake of 3 g of chitosan.

Can a label say how much weight is lost or how fast?

No. Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 does not allow claims referring to the rate or amount of weight loss.

What happens if a claim is not in the list?

The general rule is Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006: health claims are prohibited unless they are authorised and included in the lists. Recital 11 of Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 mentions a transitional regime (Article 28(5) and (6) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006) for claims still under evaluation or review; whether a specific claim can rely on it must be determined by the regulatory manager.

Who has to justify a claim?

The food business operator making it (Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). The competent authorities may ask for the data showing compliance (Article 6(3)).

Is berberine prohibited?

The EFSA draft is a safety assessment, not a decision on its use in foods. That decision, if it comes, belongs to the Commission (Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006). The status of a substance in a specific product and market must be checked in the regulation in force and with the regulatory manager.

Where is the official text?

In the Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex). The original texts cited here are on the BOE record of each regulation, linked in the sources. For a label, use the current consolidated version.

Scope. Information checked against the official sources cited as of 4 November 2026. This article covers four ingredients, not the full list in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, and does not include national measures.

Informational content, not legal advice: the reference text is the one published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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