Food supplements and fortified foods: navigating the legislative maze
Download our whitepaper on the legislative maze surrounding food supplements and fortified foods here. You will find a complete overview of the applicable rules per category in Belgium, as well as a clear step-by-step plan for placing food supplements or fortified foods on the market.
Pascal Brysse
Food supplements as a new trend
The popularity of food supplements
Consumers are increasingly turning to food supplements and fortified foods. Several factors drive this trend: an unbalanced diet, stress, smoking, chronic illness, intensive sports practice, a vegetarian or vegan diet, and many more. These are just a few examples that can lead to a vitamin or mineral deficiency. The range of products available to address these deficiencies is wide and varied, as is the regulation that accompanies it.
Food supplements and fortified foods
The legal definition of food supplements is as follows:
"Pre-dosed foodstuffs intended to supplement the normal diet, which contain one or more nutrients, plants, plant preparations or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect."
There are three main types of food supplements, each of which, in addition to the general regulations, has its own specific guidelines. Besides food supplements, the use of fortified foods is also frequently discussed. These are ordinary foods to which nutrients have been deliberately added to provide an additional source of vitamins and minerals. As with food supplements, fortified foods are also subject to extensive regulation.
Placing food supplements and fortified foods on the market
Placing a food supplement or fortified food on the market does not happen overnight. In addition to checking the admissibility and levels of the components used, two important steps remain, namely correct labelling and notification.
Would you like to know more about the regulation of food supplements and fortified foods?
Download the whitepaper here!
