Nutrition and health claims on functional drinks: what Regulation 1924/2006 lets you say

The whole point of a functional drink is what it does — energy, focus, immunity, hydration, calm. But in the EU, what you can say about those benefits is tightly controlled by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims. The gap between the benefit you believe in and the claim you're allowed to print is where many functional beverages get into trouble.

Two kinds of claims

The regulation separates nutrition claims (about what the product contains — “source of vitamin C,” “low sugar”) from health claims (about what an ingredient does for the body — “vitamin C supports the immune system”). Each has its own rules, and health claims in particular can only be made if they're on the EU's authorized list and used under the approved conditions.

Authorized claims and their conditions

A health claim isn't free text — it's an authorized wording tied to a specific nutrient at a specific level. To make “vitamin C contributes to normal immune function,” the drink has to contain a meaningful amount of vitamin C, defined relative to reference intakes. The claim and the formula are linked: no qualifying level, no claim.

Where functional drinks overreach

Trouble usually comes from claiming benefits for trendy actives — adaptogens, nootropics, botanicals — that don't have authorized health claims, or from implying medicinal effects. A drink can contain an ingredient legally and still not be allowed to say what marketers want to say about it. The active being present doesn't authorize the claim.

Keeping claims tied to the formula

Because claims depend on nutrient levels, a reformulation can quietly invalidate a claim — drop the vitamin C below the threshold and “source of vitamin C” is no longer true. Keeping each claim linked to the formula and its levels is what stops a label from carrying a claim the product no longer supports.

This is general information, not regulatory or legal advice. Requirements differ by market and change over time, so confirm current rules with the relevant authority or a qualified regulatory expert before relying on them.

Where Lemoniq fits

Lemoniq links each claim to the nutrient and level that supports it in the structured formula — so a claim is only available when the product qualifies, and a reformulation that drops below a threshold flags the claim that's now at risk.

The takeaway

Functional drink claims live under Regulation 1924/2006: nutrition and health claims, authorized wordings, qualifying levels. Tying every claim to the formula that supports it is what keeps a functional beverage saying only what it's allowed to say.

Lemoniq keeps your functional drink claims tied to the formula that supports them. See how it works