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The Canadian Health Claim for Calcium, Vitamin D and Osteoporosis

Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Health Canada (M.R.L.)
College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan (S.J.W.)
Department of Medicine, University of Calgary (D.A.H.), CANADA

Address reprint requests to: Dr. Mary L’Abbé, Director, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, Food Directorate, Health Canada—P.L. 2203C, Banting Research Centre, Ross Ave, Ottawa, ON K1A 0L2 CANADA. E-mail: mary_l'abbe{at}hc-sc.gc.ca. Manuscript number 574 of the Bureau of Nutritional Sciences

To provide evidence for or against allowing a health claim for calcium in Canada, we undertook a review of the current U.S. health claim for calcium and osteoporosis, and also reviewed the scientific literature published since that health claim was first proposed and reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1991 and adopted in 1993. Our objectives were 1) to determine if the science behind the claim was still valid, and if so, 2) to recommend any new wording to the claim, if warranted, prior to implementation in Canada. Based on a review of the evidence (to May 2000) related to the various claim elements, the following health claim for calcium has been established in Canada: A healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, and regular physical activity, help to achieve strong bones and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The compositional criteria for foods bearing this claim are that the food must provide at least 200 mg calcium per serving and that the phosphorus content (excluding that provided by phytate) must be less than the calcium content.

Key words: calcium, osteoporosis, vitamin D, health claim

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