Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 230/4

2 May 2008

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 257/2008

European Union (EU)* : Implementing Rules for Applications for Authorisation of Health Claims Made on Foods

Further to our Commercial Information Circular No. 39/2007 of 15 January 2007, the European Commission (the Commission) has recently adopted a Regulation to establish the implementing rules for applications for authorisation of health claims. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EC) 353/2008 (the Regulation). The Regulation can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:109:0011:0016:EN:PDF

DETAILS

1.  

2. According to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the Commission will adopt a Community list of permitted health claims other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk by 31 January 2010. As for the claims relating to the reduction of disease risk, these claims shall go through the authorisation procedure for inclusion in the list of permitted claims. Any modification of health claims included in the lists or addition of health claims based on newly developed scientific data shall be adopted following the same authorisation procedure. To ensure the harmonised submission, the Commission has established implementing rules for the applications for authorisation. Details are set out in the Regulation. 
    

3. Separately, the European Food Safety Authority has also issued a scientific and technical guidance on the preparation and the presentation of applications for authorisation of a health claim. Application should follow the guidance in conjunction with the implementing rules set out in the Regulation. For details, please refer to the following webpage: 
   http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1178623592471.htm

ENQUIRIES

4. 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.