Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/4

6 March 2008

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 157/2008

European Union (EU)* : Amendments to the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 39/2007 of 15 January 2007, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have adopted a Regulation to amend the Regulation (EC) 1924/2006 concerning the transitional measures of health claims referring to children's development and health. Details are set out in Regulation (EC) 109/2008 (the Regulation). The Regulation can be accessed through the following link :
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:039:0014:0015:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. Under the Regulation, the EU authorities considered appropriate to provide transitional measures for health claims referring to children's development and health, which have been used in compliance with national provisions before 1 July 2007. Such claims shall continue to be used until authorisation is granted, provided that applications have been made before 19 January 2008. After evaluation, the European Commission will adopt a Decision concerning the lists of permitted health claims. If the claims are not authorised, they may continue to be used for six months following the adoption of the Decision.

ENQUIRIES

3. For enquiries concerning the contents of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

(Cyrus NG)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.