FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2020, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (17): 325-332.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-20190802-017

• Reviews • Previous Articles    

Practices of and Enlightenments Drawn from Labeling Management of Foods for Special Medical Purpose in Developed Countries

NING Bo, SU Qiang, YANG Bo, GAO Haitao, YU Qing   

  1. (1. School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China; 2. Higher Education Research Institute, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China)
  • Online:2020-09-15 Published:2020-09-16

Abstract: In this article, by analyzing the contents of the related policies, we sort out the practices of developed countries in the labeling management of foods for special medical purpose (FSMP), and we summarize these polices from several dimensions such as general label information, target patient populations, nutrition labeling and medication reminders. Developed countries have more detailed and strict requirements for the labeling management of FSMP. The main differences between the regulations on FSMP labeling in China and those in developed countries are as follows: 1) in developed countries, manufacturers are usually required to clearly indicate “applicable to patient populations’’; 2) a nutrition fact label is also given for FSMP, including ingredients and their contents, proportions, and reference intake; and 3) the label must provide caution and warning messages to guide consumers to use the product correctly. The above findings imply that the FSMP labeling management system in China should draw on the experience of developed countries. More specially, the relevant laws and regulations need to be improved in the future. It is necessary to guide enterprises to label nutrition and health information in a regulated and scientific way. Moreover, reference nutrient intake standards for different patient populations should be formulated for more scientific labeling management. The connection between FSMP labeling management and the whole industry chain supervision or public nutrition education should be strengthened.

Key words: foods for special medical purpose; nutrition; labeling; management

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