SNE Statement - The importance of specific EU rules for young child formulae

In the context of the legislative follow-up for the new Regulation 609/2013 on Foods for Specific groups (FSG), Specialised Nutrition Europe (SNE) welcomes the European Commission’s considerations for future ways to regulate young child formulae.

Young child formulae have been specially developed to meet the needs of young children and have been on the market for over 20 years in the EU, providing families across Europe with additional ways to meet the nutritional requirements of their young children.

SNE supports the inclusion of young child formula products directly within the FSG Regulation:

• Young children aged 1-3 years are a very specific group of the population with particular nutritional needs and specific food safety and quality requirements that differ from the general population.
• General food legislation is not tailored to the specialist nature of this product category and the specific consumers these products are designed for.
• Specific provisions would ensure that there are standards and controls in place to ensure that these products are suitable for these consumers.

SNE looks forward to discussing the Commission’s proposed regulatory options at the Advisory Group meeting on 19 September 2014 and is pleased to bring its technical and scientific expertise to the discussions.