Health assessment of dietetic foods
The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment addresses the nutritional requirements of certain groups of people, such as diabetics.
Based on the current state of scientific knowledge, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment does not recommend any special dietetic foods for people with diabetes mellitus. The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELshort forGerman Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture) has followed this recommendation and amended the Regulation on DiätVO - the German Regulation on Dietetic Food accordingly in 2010.
What are dietetic foods?
Dietetic foods are foods that are intended for particular nutritional uses of specific groups of people. They must be suitable for the given purpose and, owing to their special composition or manufacturing process, must be clearly distinguishable from foods for general consumption (§1 para. 1 and 2 DiätVO).
Besides general provisions, the DiätVO also contains specific provisions for certain categories of dietetic foods such as foods for infants and young children. Categories of dietetic foods for which specific provisions have already been issued or for which provisions are to be issued, are listed in Annex 8 § 4a para. 1 DiätVO.
By contrast, products, which are placed on the market and do not belong to any of the categories in Annex 8 are subject to a Notification procedure pursuant to § 4a DiätVO, for which the Federal Institute for Protection of Consumers and Food Safety (BVLshort forGerman Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety) is responsible.