Updated European legislation relating to infant formula and follow-on formula come into effect in February 2020.1,2,3

The changes, which stem from a European Directive agreed in 2013, cover the nutritional composition requirements of products, their labelling and promotion, and permissible pesticide residue levels. The intention is to enhance previous regulations, some in force since the 1990s, by reflecting the most recent scientific findings.4

They also reflect the EU Action Plan on Childhood Obesity 2014-2020, which includes a series of actions aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates. Indeed, “there is scientific consensus that breast milk is the preferred food for healthy infants and the Union and its Member States are continuously committed to supporting breastfeeding,” says the 2016 regulation.1

The European Commission last harmonised rules on infant formula and follow-on formula in 2006 and on foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses in 2009. The new regulation, EU No 609/2013, consolidates these with earlier regulations around infant foodstuffs from the 1990s, and entered UK law as a Commission Delegated Regulation in 2016.4,5,6

Two amendments have been made - in 2018 and 2019 - to reflect changes in scientific opinion since 2013 regarding certain food contaminants, vitamin D levels and a dietary long chain fatty acid, erucic acid.2,3