Month: November 2022

TDMR Europe has announced further growth with Bariatrix Europe’s recent addition to its membership. Bariatrix Nutrition is a leading international company that has provided weight management and wellness products in Europe since 2005.

Bariatrix Europe joins TMDR Europe ahead of a series of upcoming regulatory changes in the EU and the UK that may affect its product portfolio, which includes total diet replacements (TDRs) and meal replacement products (MRPs). With its consistent expansion, TDMR Europe is uniting the slimming foods industry to facilitate exchanges of knowledge and effectively utilise on-the-ground information to tackle regulatory challenges for the sector in Europe.

Professor Anthony Leeds, Chairman of TDMR Europe said:

“We’re delighted to see TDMR Europe’s continued expansion with Bariatrix Europe being the latest company to join our association. As a member of TDMR Europe, Bariatrix will contribute to our targeted campaigns aiming to secure a fit for purpose European legislation for formula diet foods and help stakeholders gain a better understanding of these products”.

“We are witnessing major regulatory challenges for the slimming foods industry in Europe. The European Commission has just updated composition requirements for total diet replacements (TDRs) after TDMR Europe shared the latest scientific research on these products with them. We also expect regulatory changes that may unfairly impact slimming foods such as the setting of nutrient profiles and a harmonised front of pack nutrition scheme. TDMR Europe is also actively engaged in discussions in the UK where the regulatory framework for TDRs is being reviewed”.

“TDMR Europe is working to ensure that businesses in the sector can inform the legislation that affects their products, combining the industry’s commercial and technical knowledge with TDMR Europe’s decades of experience in policy engagement”.

Ziad Khoury, Scientific and Marketing Director in Bariatrix Europe said:

“Joining TDMR Europe will support our company’s further development and growth. With its scientific expertise, longstanding PR and public affairs experience and the excellent relationships that TDMR Europe has developed with policy makers, target media and other stakeholders in the EU and the UK, the association will help us navigate the fluid and complex legislation governing our products as well as raise awareness of their scientifically proven benefits”.

TDMR Europe is the European association for manufacturers and distributors of total diet replacements (TDRs) and meal replacements (MRPs) which provide weight loss and weight management programmes for people with obesity and overweight. TDMR Europe helps businesses in the sector engage with policymakers, provides members with policy and regulatory advice, and promotes the benefits of TDRs and MRPs for people with obesity and overweight. You can find more information here.

To join TDMR Europe please can it touch via +44 (0)20 7463 0620 or secretariat@tdmr-europe.com

Ahead of the enforcement of the Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation 2017/1798 on Total Diet Replacement (TDR) on 29 November 2022, TDMR Europe released a statement to welcome the review of essential fatty acids (EFA) and magnesium requirements but raises awareness of the need to review the protein requirements next.

TDMR Europe welcomes the review of EU composition requirements for TDR but warns about remaining formulation issues

“Following a targeted campaign that TDMR Europe has implemented over the past five years and our close coordination with Commissioners, Member States’ representatives and MEPs, the European Commission has reviewed the requirements for magnesium and essential fatty acids for the composition of TDRs. This change in the 2017 Delegated Act is crucial to make sure that the manufacturing of TDRs is based on sound science and the products remain shelf stable and palatable”.

“Yet, the industry remains concerned about the protein requirements in Delegated Regulation 2017/1798. The protein levels set out in the regulation are much higher than those in the previous legislation, are not in line with the latest scientific evidence and present important food technology problems for the industry as they impact their products’ texture and palatability”.

“TDR is a product that has been marketed and used safely in Europe for over 35 years and several scientific studies have shown its potential in tackling obesity and improving comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnoea”.

“TDMR Europe will keep working closely with policy makers to help them gain a better understanding of TDRs and will continue coordinating with stakeholders to secure fit for purpose legislation for these products”.

On 27^th October, the Delegated Regulation 2017/1798 on TDRs composition and labelling requirements that was adopted in June 2017 reviewing the Directive 96/8 started to apply. Today the Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation 2017/1798 was published in the Official Journal and will start to apply on 29 November 2022. With this new regulation the European Commission reviewed the composition requirements for magnesium and EFAs to bring them in line with the 2021 EFSA recommendations. This review took place following a letter from TDMR Europe to the Commission which raised awareness of the latest scientific research on alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA) and magnesium and requested a review by EFSA of their 2015 opinion on TDRs composition.

TDRs, which include very low-calorie diets (VLCDs) and low-calorie diets (LCDs), are specifically formulated programmes that are based around formula foods that aim to replace the whole of the daily diet. You can find more information on TDRs here.

TDMR Europe is the European association for manufacturers and distributors of formula diet products, including total diet replacement (TDRs) and meal replacement (MRPs) which provide weight loss and weight management programmes for people with obesity and overweight. TDMR Europe works to secure appropriate and proportionate European legislation for slimming foods and is in close continuous dialogue with a wide variety of stakeholders such as policymakers and senior officials in the relevant bodies to do this. More information on TDMR Europe is available here.

Aris Myriskos

Press Office, TDMR Europe Secretariat