The European Commission has recently published Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children's development and health. The regulation establishes a list of 222 permitted generic health claims.

Walnuts have been granted a specific health claim for their "contribution to the improvement of the elasticity of the blood vessels". The claim may be used only for foods that provide a daily intake of 30 g of walnuts.

Other generic claims have been approved for food products that meet specific compositions, some of which can be applied to nuts and dried fruits if they meet the conditions set out in the Annex:

• "Alpha-linolenic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels."
• "Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats in the diet contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels." [MUFA and PUFA are unsaturated fats]
• "Linoleic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels."
• Minerals as Iron, Magnesium, etc.
• Vitamins as Folate, Niacin, etc.
• The Regulation enters into force on the 20th day following publication and includes a transition period of six months; it therefore applies from 14 December 2012.