• How can you market a food supplement?
• Can herbal food supplements be marketed without registration?
• Should food supplements comply with any specific obligation regarding their packaging?
• Can a food supplement be advertised on the internet?

How can you market a food supplement?

Before entering the market, a food supplement whose qualitative and quantitative composition complies with legislative decree 169/2004 should be notified to the Ministry of Health which check its safety, labelling and composition.

Can herbal food supplements be marketed without registration?

Certainly not. Herbal food supplements should be notified to the Ministry of Health as well. Herbs and phytotherapies can have material benefits on health if appropriately formulated and labelled in a such a way as to allow consumers to use them correctly. Besides, they can only be manufactured by manufacturing sites adequately authorized by health authorities.

Should food supplements comply with any specific obligation regarding their packaging?

The mandatory items to be reported on the packaging of food supplements are listed in the Legislative Decree 169/2004 and in some MoH guidelines. A food supplement should always report the three following warnings:

• Keep out of the reach of young children under three years.
• Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
• Do not exceed the stated recommended daily dose.

The label should also report the complete composition, the quantities of the ingredients with their nutritional value and/or the benefits on health.

Other essential items which are mandatory on the label are determined on the base of the composition and type of product.

Can a food supplement be advertised on the internet?

Yes. It can be advertised provided that such advertising complies with Legislative Decree 169/2004, Regulation 1924/2006 and the MoH and EC guidelines.