New law on food intended for infants

The new law strengthens provisions on foods for vulnerable groups of persons that require special protection, such as infants and children up to three years of age.

The accompanying Ordinance that will further regulate the rules for advertising and presentation of food intended for infants as well as the ways of informing the public about such food and the ways of official control must be passed within one year. The competent ministry remains the Ministry of Health, and the competent inspection is the sanitary inspection of the Ministry.

The new law regulates in more detail the following:

• the advertising and presentation of infant formulae;
• the ways of providing infomative and educational material on the diet of infants and young children;
• the preparation of expert guides and guidelines insuring objective and consistent information on the diet for infants, including assessment of such guides.

Additional requirements for infant formula and follow-on formula:

1. The labelling, presentation and advertising of infant formula and follow-on formula shall be designed so as not to discourage breast-feeding.
2. The labelling, presentation and advertising of infant formula, and the labelling of follow-on formula shall not include pictures of infants, or other pictures or text which may idealise the use of such formulae.
   Without prejudice to the first subparagraph, graphic representations for easy identification of infant formula and follow-on formula and for illustrating methods of preparation shall be permitted.

Lastly, the novelty is also that even a legal person shall be liable for false advertising permitted in its media space contrary to regulations, and in particular to Article 10 of the Regulation (EU) No 609/2013.