There are a series of products “for special feeding” including dietetics and food for infancy. Dietetic products include:

1. dietetic food with special medical purposes, regulated by Directive 1999/21/EC, implemented by Presidential Decree 57/2002;
2. dietetic products to control and reduce weight, regulated by Directive 96/8/EC, implemented by Ministry Decree 519/1998;
3. gluten-free food, regulated by Regulation (EC) No. 41/2009;
4. low-sodium salts, for which specific Ministry guideline have been issued;
5. products for sportsmen, still lacking a specific regulation;
6. products for diabetics.

The common feature of this products is that they are created and formulated to face specific nutritional needs of people with problems of gut absorbtion, metabolic problems or with any other particular physiologic condition.

Food for infancy is made of those products openly directed to the babies (younger than 12 months) and for children up to three years of age.

Formulations for babies and diabetic products are to be notified to the Ministry of Health; at the end of the procedure, some of these products are included into a National catalogue of products dispensed by the NHS.