As a Codex Observer, the International Special Dietary Foods Industries (ISDI) contributed and shared its expertise at the 41^st session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU 41), which took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 24 to 29 November 2019.

ISDI welcomes the good progress made by participating delegates from more than 100 countries and stakeholders/representatives of civil society. The participants provided their expertise to assess the latest available nutrition science in order to develop standards for safe foods, protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

Follow-up formulas are specific foods intended for babies

All participating countries and observers committed to setting clear and implementable standards for follow-up formulas (FUF) at global level that reflect feeding realities from across the globe.

The standards, to be finalised at the next Committee meeting, will guide and promote the establishment of definitions and requirements for FUF, but will also reflect how these specially formulated foods help provide key nutrients to toddlers as part of a diversified diet.

During this session, special attention was given to the definition and labelling of these foods.

Additives for use in ‘Foods for Special Medical Purposes’ given green light

ISDI also welcomes the extensive deliberations on food additives for use in infant foods since additives are critical to these highly specialised nutrient-dense formulations.  

The Committee gave a green light to the use of two food additives in ‘Foods for Special Medical Purposes’ for infants – xanthan gum and pectins. The upcoming authorisation of these additives will ensure the availability of safe and high quality foods for infants suffering from particular medical conditions.

Substantial progress on guidelines for ‘Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods’

Finally, Member Countries agreed to develop guidelines for ‘Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods’ (RUTF). These foods address severe acute malnutrition for infants and young children below 5 years, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The substantial progress made at this session will enable the finalisation of guidelines at the next session.

ISDI looks forward to contributing to the upcoming work of the Committee and participating in the next annual CCNFSDU meeting in November 2020.