15 Jun 2012 --- Rules on the labelling and contents of baby milks and food for people with special medical needs would be better defined to protect consumers and give clarity to the food industry, under draft legislation adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday as a negotiating position with the Council. The special rules would also cover gluten intolerance and certain low-calorie diets.

The new legislation is to replace several existing laws in order to streamline and clarify labelling and composition rules, which cover products representing around 1-2% of the total food market. The changes were proposed due to problems faced by both consumers and authorities in distinguishing between foods for normal consumption and those intended for specific groups.

The report, drafted by Frédérique Ries (ALDE, BE) was adopted with 603 votes in favour, 8 against and 8 abstentions.

In future, the labelling of all milk formulae for babies up to 12 months old (including "follow-on" formulae) should not include pictures of babies or images that "idealise the use" of the product, says the text.

Parliament also says that the Commission should review the currently complex legal situation of milks intended for children between 12 and 36 months old (so-called "growing-up milks") and propose new rules for them if needed.

Special gluten labelling rules are also to be included in this legislation. Food products intended for people with gluten intolerance should contain less than 100 mg gluten per kg and may be labelled as having "very low gluten content" whilst those containing less than 20 mg of gluten per kg may be labelled "gluten free".

MEPs say the European Commission should prepare a study with a view to addressing the lack of specific rules for lactose intolerance.

MEPs are concerned that slimming claims are made on growing numbers of food product labels. Parliament says that the new rules should cover energy-restricted diets designed to replace a person's daily food intake or strict diets for obese people. These include "low-calorie diets" (800-1,200 calories per day) and "very low-calorie diets" (400-800 calories).

Statements on diet foods intended for the general public should be regulated by the 2006 health claims regulation, MEPs add.

The European Parliament’s plenary vote on the revision of the EU dietetic foods framework (also known as PARNUTs) has demonstrated that the EU must continue to guarantee a strong legislative framework in order to protect vulnerable consumers, argues IDACE – the association representing the specialised nutrition industry in Europe.
 
Today, the European Parliament’s plenary session voted in favour of the Report- authored by Rapporteur Frédérique Ries and voted unanimously by the European Parliament’s Environment Public Health and Food Safety Committee. IDACE supports the report, which will provide appropriate legal solutions to ensure the continued protection of consumers, enabling them to properly manage their dietary requirements with products specially designed to suit their needs.
 
Roger Clarke, Member of the IDACE Operational Board, comments: “This first-reading position from the European Parliament sends a strong signal to the European Commission and the Council and will serve as an excellent negotiating basis for the upcoming second-reading decision-making procedure.”

In view of the second-reading, IDACE will continue to engage in the debate in order to ensure that the remaining outstanding issues will be resolved by the European Institutions, providing both consumers and industry with a more modern and suitable legal framework.
 
Roger Clarke continues: “Whilst IDACE acknowledges the efforts undertaken so far by the three institutions, the conclusion of the revision will only be successful if the Council, Commission and European Parliament agree on effective rules for all our specialised nutrition products and if a ‘soft landing’ is achieved for those categories that fall into general food legislation. This revision has proven to be extremely complex, and we need to find appropriate answers for many legislative uncertainties that currently remain unresolved.”