Health claim approval for cheese

The Swedish dairy Skånemejerier recently achieved Functional Food status approval for its  “healthy cheese” product, called Hjärtans Lust (Heart’s Desire). It is the Swedish Nutrition Foundation (SNF) that decides wheter a product meets the requirements to be a functional food or not. The documented health effect that the cheese brings is reduction of the cholesterol level in the blood.

The product, Hjärtans Lust, is based on pressed rapeseed oil instead of milk fat. The positive effect of the cheese is created mainly by reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Our commitment in the area of health and wellbeing continues with full strength. It is very pleasant that we now have the first documented “healthy cheese” in Sweden, approved by the SNF. This means that we can now market our product, Hjärtans Lust, as a functional food “, says Rolf Bjerndell, CEO at Skånemejerier.

The approved claim, which the company can now use in its marketing communications is: “As substitute for ordinary cheese, Hjärtats Lust contributes to lower cholesterol values”.

The cheese has been sold under the product name Julia in Finland since 1999. The Swedish market will be penetrated this autumn. The study that proves the documented health effect was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56, (pp.1094-1101) 2002.  

Source:

Skånemejerier - www.skanemejerier.se

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