The event will take place on 30 June 2022 and 1 July 2022 at the BfR premises in Berlin-Marienfelde, Diedersdorfer Weg 1, 12277 Berlin Germany as well as online.

Foods that are marketed by the food industry under the label “superfood” are often associated by consumers with positive effects on human health. The term is usually used to promote plant-based foods (e.g., fruits, berries, seeds, and various vegetables) that are naturally rich sources of vitamins, minerals and secondary plant compounds. Additionally, dietary supplements that contain certain botanical extracts or other substances with nutritional or physiological effects are also often promoted as “superfoods”. As they are not legally defined, a wide range of products are currently being marketed as “superfoods”.

However, certain foods marketed in this way, especially in concentrated form, may also pose health risks.

The aim of the event is therefore to present and discuss aspects of scientific assessment and regulation of foods sold under the marketing term “superfood” in the context of consumer health protection.

Programme

Abstracts

Livestream recordings of the conference can be found here.

Presentations from 30.06.2022

Ana Afonso, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), IT
EFSA role in the assessment of health claims and novel foods including nutrient sources

Marc Birringer, University of Applied Sciences Fulda, DE
„Superfoods“ and supplements – an overview

Mark Lohmann, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), DE
Consumer perception of superfoods – online population survey in Germany

Isabelle Laquiere, Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (FPS Public Health), BE
Superfoods, food supplements, novel foods

Klaus Riediger, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), AT
Classification of other substances – the D-A-CH-lists of substances and other lists on the national level

Jacqueline Steenbergen-Biesterbos, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), NL
Initiative on European level for classification pharmacologically active substances in food supplements

Tomas Nilsson, Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA), SE
Borderline medicinal products/foods – limits of “dual use”

Presentations from 01.07.2022

Karen I. Hirsch-Ernst, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), DE
Risk assessment approaches and methodology – an overview

Susanne Alban, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, DE
Risk assessment of "superfoods" and supplements (examples)

Georg Schreiber, Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), DE
G@ZIELT -the German central unit for eCommerce control

Julia Sausmikat, Consumer Association North Rhine-Westphalia, DE
How is food transformed into "superfood"?

Peter Nick, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), DE
Combatting counterfeit superfoods

Gwenn Vo Van Regnault, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), FR
Nutrivigilance of food supplements in Europe