The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA), the representative body for European sports nutrition manufacturers and distributors, has welcomed a final European Parliament vote on sports nutrition. The vote will adopt a regulation revising the legal framework covering sports nutrition products.
General food law
ESSNA predicts that the vote, which brings the curtain down on a legislative process lasting almost two years, will result in dramatic changes to the law regulating sports nutrition products. Under the new regulation, sports nutrition products will fall under general food law. ESSNA claims that this will ensure flexibility and will maximise the potential for innovation within the sports nutrition sector.
Debates over the regulation of sports nutrition products date back more than a decade. During this time, European legislation on dietetic or PARNUTS foods (for Paticular Nutritional uses) has indicated that specific provisions would be implemented to cover ‘foods intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort, especially for sportsmen.’
This suggestion has been firmly opposed by ESSNA members, who have called for sports nutrition products to be brought under general food law.
The European Commission has also been tasked with the preparation of a report assessing whether any further provision for sports nutrition products is necessary. (PARNUTS regulations will continue to apply to sports nutrition products until the new framework is established in three years’ time, subject also to the report being prepared by the European Commission.)
Plans for the publication of the EC report have been welcomed by ESSNA.
Dr Adam Carey, Chair of ESSNA, said “This is a watershed moment in a debate that has lasted for more than ten years. We have always been very clear that establishing criteria for a few categories of sports foods would have been extremely damaging to the industry.
“We are delighted that our concerns have been recognised and acted upon. There are a number of issues still to resolve and we will be engaging fully with the European Commission’s report, which will be an important piece of work – one we hope will lead to a functioning single market of sports foods across the European Union. This would help ensure further growth in what is already a thriving sector.”
Chris Whitehouse, ESSNA General Secretary added “General food law requires that all food products be safe and appropriately labelled. That is as it should be. Consumers can rely upon the products of ESSNA members to comply with these fundamental principles.”
The new regulation will be published shortly in the official Journal of the European Union, coming into force 20 days after publication. The rules will be applicable after a three-year transition period and a full sell-through period for business.
ESSNA – the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance – is an alliance of European sports nutrition companies that was formed in December 2003.
Members of the aliance include Adams Food Ingredients, Aminolabs, Body Temple UK, Carbery, CLF Distribution, First Milk, Garnell Corporation, Iovate Health Sciences, Mass Nutrition Kostexperten, Maxinutrition, myprotein.co.uk, NSF, Prometeus, Sci-MX Nutrition, Tropicana Health and Fitness, US Nutrition, USN UK, Volac and Weider Germany.
Associate members of the Alliance include HFMA (The UK Health Food Manufacturers’ Association), Weider Publishing, Fitnessboutique, LGC, Cambridge Commodities, Healthy Inspirations, The Sales and Marketing Partnership and Affordable Supplements.
