Additives are not allowed in food supplements intended for infants and young children

The Finnish Food Safety Authority has recently issued a clarification regarding dietary supplements for infants and young children. Such dietary supplements may not contain food additives.

As of 31 March 2026, the sale of new food supplements containing additives, intended for infants (under 12 months) and young children (12–36 months) will be prohibited on the Finnish market. This was announced by the Finnish Food Authority in their newsletter.

The background is that Annex II to EC Regulation 1333/2008, which entered into force in 2012, does not include food supplements for children under the age of three within any food category. As a result, no additives are permitted in these products—whether added directly, transferred via the carry-over principle (Article 18(1)), or included as additives in nutrients used in food supplements (Annex III, Part B, Section 5). Nonetheless, products containing additives can still be found on the market.

Following the entry into force of Annex II, several Member States requested that a specific subcategory for this target group to be added in Annex II, citing the technical necessity of certain additives. While the European Commission initiated an investigation, no amendments have been made to date.

Now, the Finnish Food Authority, which had previously been accommodating while waiting for the inclusion of a subcategory for food supplements for this target group, is making a clear statement that the legislation from now must be followed without exceptions.

After 31 March 2026, only products already available on the Finnish market may continue to be sold to consumers, and only until their expiry date. Thereafter, such products may only be traded business-to-business, in line with the interpretation previously applied by the European Commission regarding the now banned additive titanium dioxide.

Link to the Finnish Food Authority
Livsmedelstillsatser får inte användas i kosttillskott avsedda för spädbarn och småbarn - Livsmedelsverket (Not available in english)