Proposal for a new practicable categorization system for food for special medical purposes - Enteral nutritional products

Background & aims: Changes in the EU regulation on food for specific groups (FSG) [1] and within the German social law [2] combined with various definitions in the legal and the scientific background led to the need for development of a categorization system for "Food for special medical purposes" (FSMP) for enteral use [3].

Methods: The system was developed by an interdisciplinary working group of two German industry associations, which represent the leading manufacturers and distributors of FSMP in Europe. It aims to minimize the misunderstandings surrounding the different definitions used in relation to enteral nutritional products and incorporate the latest scientific knowledge and medical guidelines [4].

Results: The new proposal consists of a table which shows the product categories and briefly the definitions of the used terms. The text contains the relevant definitions of terms often used within the field of enteral nutrition.

Conclusion: This provides health care professionals with support and the decision making process for the prescription and use of such products. Additionally it also benefits the responsible authorities to formulate new directives, which are user-friendly and reflect the latest knowledge in medical nutrition.