EAS Says Food Sector Proposals Won’t Be Adopted Before Summer

To assist companies as EU legislation continues to evolve, EAS has developed an easy-to-follow guide to help food companies successfully enter the EU’s nutritional products market.

01/06/09 Four long-anticipated proposals by the food sector will not be adopted before the summer, says international food and nutrition policy consultancy, EAS.

Xavier Lavigne, EAS Food Law manager, said that the European Commission’s proposals – for a nutrient profiles scheme, for setting maximum levels for vitamins and minerals, for a food labelling regulation, and amendments to the novel food regulation – now have no chance of being adopted or progressing any further before the European parliament elections in June.

All four issues have proven highly controversial among the EU member states, with the nutrient profiling scheme now in the hands of European Commission president José Manuel Barroso’s cabinet. The food labelling and novel food proposals are set for a second reading and possible re-draft, and the long-awaited proposal for setting maximum levels for vitamins and minerals has been delayed to much later in the year.

“These issues are now at a standstill until the end of the summer break, and the impact of the EU elections remains to be seen,” said Lavigne. “Taking into account the time needed for the decision-making process in the EU, none of these issues are likely to be finalised before the end of 2010, except possibly the nutrient profiles scheme, which could in theory be adopted by the end of this year.”

Easy-to-follow guide

To assist companies as EU legislation continues to evolve, EAS has developed an easy-to-follow guide to help food companies successfully enter the EU’s nutritional products market.

The 250-page guide, entitled ‘Marketing Food Supplements, Fortified and Functional Foods in Europe: Legislation and Practice’, gives a detailed analysis of EU and national legislation, including rules on vitamins and minerals, herbs and other functional ingredients and health claims. The guide also covers regulations in Russia, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland.

“Critical developments on food legislation are under way, and with the delays being faced, it’s important for companies to know the current rules in place, many of which are still at national level,” said Efi Leontopoulou, EAS manager of scientific and regulatory affairs. “Our report clarifies these aspects, giving the necessary information to understand and overcome these differences.”