The Ministry of Health has introduced a new procedure for updating the National Register of Food Supplements, allowing companies to temporarily remove products that are no longer marketed from the Register through the so-called “freeze procedure”. The measure aims to make the Register more reliable and streamline monitoring activities. Companies operating in the sector must…
What does the shrinkflation legislation in force from 1 July 2026 provide for? The rules on shrinkflation were introduced by Article 23 of Law No. 193 of 16 December 2024, through the insertion of Article 15-bis into the Consumer Code. Not every change in format or reduction in quantity automatically triggers these obligations. The assessment…
New guidance on UDI assignment for medical devices The MDCG 2026-5 UDI clarifies the responsibilities relating to the assignment of unique device identifiers for medical devices marketed under a distributor’s brand. The Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) is the European coordinating group for medical devices, established under Article 103 of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (MDR). It…
210 Patients, Four Months, Two Doses: What the New RCT Reveals About Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Extract There’s a spice that almost everyone keeps in the pantry, good on a cappuccino or in holiday desserts, that has recently come under the lens of a clinical trial built with the same rigor reserved for a drug: randomization, double…
SAMe disulfate tosylate Novel Food has been classified in the European Union as a new food not yet authorized. The assessment specifically concerns S-adenosyl-L-methionine disulfate tosylate and stems from the lack of sufficient evidence to demonstrate significant food consumption in the EU before 15 May 1997. For companies that produce or market food supplements containing…
Silver powder in cosmetics is undergoing a major European regulatory shift. As of 1 May 2026, new provisions become applicable affecting the use of certain forms of silver, while new scientific data assessed by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) point to conditions of use considered safe for micronised particulate silver. For manufacturers and…
A 2025 randomized, triple-blind clinical trial shows that a Malva sylvestris mouthwash reduces chemotherapy-induced oral stomatitis and pain faster and more markedly than chlorhexidine, the current gold-standard treatment in oncology supportive care.
The substances under evaluation in food supplements are at the center of several European procedures. Fermented red yeast rice monacolins, berberine, hydroxycitric acid, hydroxyanthracene derivatives, alpha-lipoic acid and green tea catechins are subject to scientific assessments, regulatory procedures or possible new measures. For nutraceutical companies, monitoring these dossiers is essential: a safety assessment can lead…
A clinical study on patients with fatty liver disease reveals how the alkaloid acts on VEGF and blood pressure There’s a plant that researchers struggle to fit into a single category. It acts on blood sugar, on fats, on inflammation, and now it seems to be talking to blood vessels too. It’s called berberine, an…
Crataegus monogyna: polyphenols, cardiovascular health and new nutraceutical prospects Crataegus monogyna, hawthorn, is a plant rich in polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids with documented effects on the cardiovascular system, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. A scientific deep dive for nutraceutical formulators. There is a category of plants that folk phytotherapy has used for centuries in…