European Parliament Approves Infant and Child Foods Marking DHA Formulas with Good Vision
December 12, 2022
The European Parliament passed a vote on the 6th to allow infant food manufacturers to mark the DHA formula on their products for the benefit of visual development in infants under 12 months of age.
The DHA chemical name is docosahexaenoic acid, commonly known as "brain gold," which is an unsaturated fatty acid found naturally in breast milk, deep-sea fish, and certain plants. It is believed to benefit the development of vision. At present, DHA is commonly added to infant formulas sold in the EU market for infants from 6 months to 12 months of age. Application from infant food manufacturers in the EU allows them to label DHA for health benefits on such products.
For some time, the requirements of infant food manufacturers have been supported by the European Food Safety Agency and the European Commission, but have not been approved by the European Parliament.
On the 6th, the European Parliament approved the use of DHA formulas for infant and young children's foods for good eyesight. It also required the European Food Safety Administration and governments to formulate relevant regulations to prevent manufacturers from misusing the DHA labels for promotion.
