Food Supplements sale in Italy

The sale of food supplements in Italy, through either traditional channels or online, is steadily growing and many companies are widening their activities in this sectors by developing international relations and changing their websites in consequence.

These are supporting products that can be used by consumers to integrate the intake of specific substances in case of deficiencies or increased needs.

As for Italy, the number of foreign companies actively engaged in a constant penetration of the national market (and therefore bound to comply with the strict requirements of the national legislation and Italian notification system) has increased.

We know that in the latest years the increased sales of food supplement has much grown at international level and this has allowed many Italian companies to export their products. An enlargement of the activities, that has forced all concerned companies to be aware of and comply with the requirements of the local regulations.

Companies should in fact know the authorisation procedures for the sale of food supplements in the foreign markets, including the European countries.

As for Europe, although there regulation in force applying in the whole Union, the concentration limits of many nutrients and the need to notify the marketing and therefore their sale vary from one country to the other.

Another aspect to consider is the language. Generally, the label should in include any information in the local language of the country where the product is sold, therefore a careless translation of the text might create future difficulties for the companies.

Along with the specific product requirements (such as the compliance with the rules on the composition and labelling), the future holder of the food supplement shall also assess the appropriate registration of the company in its own country. According to the European regulation, in fact, it is required that the holder of products falling into the category of food – including food supplements – is registered as FBO (Food Business Operator). The procedure to follow is however different in the different European countries and it also changes from one province to the other.

So, before moving to foreign market and activate traditional or online selling procedures, companies must be sure that they have all the requirements in order to make safe and informed investments.

Di Renzo Regulatory Affairs has a team taking care of international relations, and thanks to its European and extra-EU consultancy networks is able to support any company wishing to widen its activities and project to foreign markets inside and outside Europe.

Full assistance is offered, including the review of the composition and labelling in compliance with the local and European regulations to assess whether the ingredients fall into the concentration limits, the claims used are compliant and the mandatory warnings are present.

Moreover, the service includes the translation of any material into the local language and any notification, if required by the law.