Declaration must for dietary foods for medical purposes

A notification on the market entry of all dietary foods for special medical purposes must be submitted to the Finnish Food Authority (FFA) as required by a new EU Regulation, said a press release issued by FFA.

The Regulation also prohibits the inclusion of nutrition or health claims on packaging and in advertisements.

Food for special medical purposes is intended as a partial replacement or as a supplement to a patient’s diet.

Such products include dietary foods for patients with feeding tubes or infant formulas for infants who are allergic to cows milk.

Information requirements for food for special medical purposes becomes enforceable on February 22.

The Commission Delegated Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the specific compositional and The Regulation will apply to food for special medical purposes for infants as of 22 February 2020.

The fee charged by the Finnish Food Authority for notifications on food for special medical purposes is EUR 81.

Businesses may continue to sell their remaining inventories of products manufactured and labelled in accordance with the repealed provisions.

Dietary food for special medical purposes is intended for the feeding of patients with a disease, disorder or medical condition due to which their nutrient requirements are impossible or very difficult to manage with other foodstuffs. Dietary foods for special medical purposes are to be used under medical supervision.

It may only be sold in packages in which the name of the disease, disorder or other medically-determined nutrient requirement is indicated as follows: “Dietary food for managing ....”.

This sentence must be completed by adding the name of the disease, disorder or medical condition for the dietary management of which the food for special medical purposes is intended.