Generality
According to the first law in force (n ° 327 of March 29th 1951), dietetic foods could be defined:
"the products to which, or due to the process of working or by the addition of particular substances, particular and / or definitive dietary properties have been conferred".
Following the Legislative Decree (DL) No. 111 of 27 January 1992, in compliance with the EEC directive 89/398, modified the wording by defining more precisely that:
"for dietetic foods means all those products which are given dietary properties and intended for a specific diet for people in particular physiological or pathological conditions".
Ultimately, the ULTIMA legislation specifies that the product must be SPECIFIC for the PARTICULAR nutritional requirements:
- of people with DIFFICULTY in absorption or with METABOLISM PERTURBATO
- of people in SPECIAL PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
- of INFANTS or CHILDREN in their FIRST childhood.
Synonyms of dietary foods
Diet foods are also called:
- Foods for particular nutrition - DL 111/92
- Regime foods - DL 111/92
- Regimen integrators - DL 77/93.
NB . The 1992 legislation EXCLUDES from dietetic products ALL those foods ONLY ADDED or REINTEGRATED in vitamins, minerals, fibers ... except for those that DEMINE to be useful to achieve a specific purpose DIETETICO.
In summary...
Dietary foods respect and pursue the following general characteristics:
- Stand out from food for current use
- Make yourself fit for a nutritional goal
- Be marketed indicating this goal
In addition, diet foods meet the nutritional needs of SOME PARTICULAR CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE:
- which present difficulties in absorption or metabolism disorders
- that they are in particular physiological conditions for which they CAN BENEFIT from taking these products
- Infants or young children IN GOOD HEALTH (DL 27 November 1992, art. 1 paragraphs 1 and 2).
Special provisions of the ministry
Among the dietary foods there are some PARTICULAR products (also called FOR SPECIAL USES) which require the formulation and application of some specific ministerial decrees; in detail:
- Formulas for infants
- Follow-up formulas and other formulas for weaning
- Other foods for early childhood
- Foods with low (or reduced) energy value intended for weight control
- Foods intended for special medical purposes
- Foods with low sodium content, including dietary salts, low salt, anodic
- Gluten-free foods
- Foods suitable for intense muscular effort, especially for athletes
- Foods intended for individuals suffering from glucose metabolism disorders (diabetes) - DL 27 November 1992, art. 8 and article 9, paragraph 1.
Dietary foods for special uses
- Gluten-free products: indicated for all individuals with gluten intolerance (called celiac disease).
- Hypoproteinic or aproteic products: indicated in pathologies where a reduced protein intake is required (some renal diseases).
- High-protein products: indicated in pathologies where a high protein intake is required (other diseases or other renal pathological stages).
- Products for low-sodium diets: indicated in diets low in sodium (useful for the control of hypertension).
- Products without disaccharides: indicated in cases of intolerance to these sugars (for example delactosate milk, useful in lactose or sucrose intolerance).
- Medium chain oils (MCT): are oils containing medium chain triglycerides and particularly suitable for certain gastro-enteric diseases (pancreatic diseases).
- Dietary oils: oils that generally have an addition of liposoluble vitamins (A, D, E, K); NB . They are NOT less caloric than normal ones.
- Dietary fibers: generally consisting of 15-30% of cellulose and the remainder of NON cellulosic polysaccharides; indicated for the regularization of intestinal motility and in the selection of physiological bacterial flora.
- Low-calorie substitute meals: powder preparations that generally contain about 80% of proteins along with vitamins, mineral salts and low amounts of carbohydrates and lipids; NB. They do NOT guarantee an adequate nutritional balance.
