Ordinance on dietary foods for special medical purposes.

An Ordinance by the Federal Minister for Social Security and Future Generations to introduce into Austrian legislation the Commission Directive 1999/2/EC of 25 March 1999 on dietary food for special medical purpose. Article 3 establishes that the formulation of dietary foods for special medical purposes shall be based on sound medical and nutritional principles. Their use, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, shall be safe and beneficial and effective in meeting the particular nutritional requirement of the persons for whom they are intended, as demonstrated by generally accepted scientific data. The labelling shall bear 1) the available energy value and the content of protein, carbohydrate and fat; 2) the average quantity of each mineral substance and each vitamin mentioned in the Annex present in the product; 3) selectively the content of components of protein carbohydrate and fat and/or of other nutrients and their componens; 4) information on the osmolality; 5) information on the origin and the nature of the protein and/or protein hydrolysates contained in the product. The Annex indicates the essential composition of foods for special medical purposes and such foods must comply with the criteria of the Annex.