Food and nutrition policy consultancy EAS has released its 2008 easy-to-follow guide to help companies successfully enter the European Union’s (EU) nutritional products market.

Developed by experts at EAS, the 2008 version of ‘Marketing Food Supplements, Fortified and Functional Foods in Europe: Legislation and Practice 2008’ was released this month as a tool for the nutritional product industry.

The report gives a detailed analysis of both the EU and national regulations for food supplements, fortified and functional foods in all 27 EU Member States as well as Norway, Russia, Switzerland and Turkey.

The 250-page guide also provides an explanatory summary of the latest EU developments affecting nutritional products, such as the addition of nutrients to foods, food additives, novel foods, GMO and allergens labelling.

Added into the 2008 version is a clear overview of the latest developments on nutrition and health claims; the necessary requirements for claims authorisation in the EU; current national approaches and their impact on businesses.

“Rules differ among the EU Member States on many aspects, from the permitted use of certain nutrients and herbal ingredients in food supplements and fortified/ functional foods, to details on new product notification requirements and national approaches towards derogations for vitamins and minerals,” said Katarina Wagner, EAS Regulatory Affairs Manager, Nutritional Products. “Our report gives companies the necessary information to understand and overcome these differences. It is an essential source of information for the industrial nutritional products sector.”

For more information about the EAS report ‘Marketing Food Supplements, Fortified and Functional Foods in Europe: Legislation and Practice 2008’ or to order it online visit www.eas.eu.

ENDS

EAS provides strategic consulting advice on European, Asian and international regulation on food and nutritional products. It provides companies with regulatory and strategic advice for the marketing and approval of their products in Europe and Asia. EAS also advises governments, trade associations and companies on the impact of European, Asian and global policy.

EAS has offices in Brussels, Italy and Singapore. EAS-Italy is a branch of EAS located in northern Italy to follow EFSA developments in Parma closely.

For more information on EAS Europe contact EAS, 50 Rue de l’Association, 1000 Brussels, tel: (+32) (0) 2 218 14 70, email [email protected] or visit www.eas.eu

For information on EAS Asia contact EAS Strategic Advice Pte Ltd, 3 Killiney Road, 07-04 Winsland House I, Singapore 239519, tel: (+65) 68 38 12 70, email: [email protected] or visit www.eas-asia.com