Foods for specific groups

Foods for specific groups

Legal framework

The rules relating to foods for specific groups have been fully harmonized in the EU. The general rules are laid down in Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 on food intended for infants and young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet replacement for weight control.

This Regulation establishes four categories of foods for specific groups:

1) infant formula and follow-on formula;

2) processed cereal-based food and baby food;

3) food for special medical purposes;

4) total diet replacement for weight control.

The Regulation lays down compositional and information requirements for these categories of foods, and it contains an EU list of vitamins, minerals, and certain other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect that may be added to one or more of these categories of foods.

The Regulation empowers the European Commission to adopt delegated acts laying down specific compositional and information requirements for each category of foods for specific groups. So far, the European Commission has adopted delegated acts for infant formula and follow-on formula, food for special medical purposes, and total diet replacement for weight control. A delegated act still needs to be adopted for processed cereal-based food and baby food.

The delegated acts relating to the specific categories of foods for specific groups also contain provisions concerning the notification of the competent authorities of the Member States of the placing on the market within their territory of foods for specific groups.

The legislation relating to foods for specific groups is gradually replacing the currently applicable legislation relating to foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses. The latter acts shall be repealed from the date of application of the delegated acts laying down specific compositional and information requirements for foods for specific groups.

How we can assist

We can review the formulation of your product in line with EU law.

• Our comprehensive report indicates the compositional requirements and the legal status of each ingredient, together with the underlying legal reasoning.

We can review the label of your product in line with EU law.

• Our comprehensive report indicates the labelling requirements and the legal status of each particular on the label, including claims, together with the underlying legal reasoning. The report also includes the proposed legally compliant and translated label text.

We can review the marketing materials of your product in line with EU law.

• Our comprehensive report indicates the legal status of each marketing statement, together with the underlying legal reasoning. The report also includes the proposed legally compliant and translated marketing text.

We can notify the competent authorities of the Member States of the placing on or withdrawal from the market of your product or of any modifications made to it.

• We let you know which information and documentation is needed for the notification, compile and submit the notification file on your behalf, and follow up with the competent authorities where needed.