Definition of Qualified health claim

Qualified health claim: A claim authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that must be supported by credible scientific evidence regarding a relationship between a substance (specific food or food component) and a disease or health-related condition. Both of these elements -- a substance and a disease -- must be present in a health claim, An example of an authorized health claim is: "Calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis."

For example, in 2004 the FDA announced a qualified health claim for the reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) on conventional foods that contain eiscosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acids.