Legislation

As with all foods, infant and dietetic foods must comply with relevant legislation covering hygiene, labelling, nutritional labelling, additives, contaminants, weights and measures and advertising. In addition, they are controlled by specific legislation which stems from a European Framework Directive on Foods for Particular Nutritional Uses, often called the PARNUTS Directive ((89/398/EEC-OJ L186/21, 30.6.1989) as amended (by 1999/41/EC-OJ L172/38, 8.7.1999).



Under this framework directive, legislation on baby milks, weaning foods, slimming foods and medical foods has been agreed and implemented into UK law. A Directive on sports foods is currently in preparation, but the question of legislative controls on diabetic foods has yet to be decided. In 1999, the European Commission agreed that gluten-free foods and low sodium foods, whilst defiined under the PARNUTS Directive need not be the subject of specific additional directives but would be controlled by labelling and claims only.



The regulations in this section specifically relate to PARNUTS foods. Other legislation may be found on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website.

The Notification of Marketing of Food For Particular Nutritional Uses (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No 333).

www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/2002033...

Foods that comply with PARNUTS criteria but which are not covered by existing directives are separately controlled under article 9 of Directive 89/398/EEC. This article requires companies to notify (and where necessary provide supplementary documentation) competent authorities that the product has been placed on the market. Article 9 has been implemented in the UK by The Notification of Marketing of Food For Particular Nutritional Uses (England and Wales) Regulations 2002 (SI 2000/333).

The Food for Particular Nutritional Uses (Addition of Substances for Specific Nutritional Purposes)(England ) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No 1817).

www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20021817.htm

These Regulations implement in England, EC Directive 2001/15/EC on substances that may be added for specific nutritional purposes to adult dietetic foods i.e medical foods, slimming foods, sports foods and foods for diabetics. Similar Regulations have been implemented in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The Regulations list the substances that may be added which include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carnitine and taurine, nucleotides, and choline and inositol. Substances that do not belong to these groups may be used subject to certain criteria. Substances added for specific nutritional purposes to infant formulas, follow-on formulas and weaning foods are already controlled by existing legislation.