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Processed cereal based foods and baby foods

Note: The delegated act for processed cereal-based foods and other baby foods supplementing Regulation 609/2013 is currently under development by the European Commission.

Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods

In this section you can access legislation and information for processed cereal based foods and baby foods:

  • Defining processed cereal-based foods and baby foods

    Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods (weaning foods) are defined under Regulation 609/2013.
    ‘processed cereal-based food’ means food:

    (i) intended to fulfil the particular requirements of infants in good health while they are being weaned, and of young children in good health as a supplement to their diet and/or for their progressive adaptation, to ordinary food; and

    (ii) divided into the following categories:

    1.    simple cereals which are or have to be reconstituted with milk or other appropriate nutritious liquids,
    2.    cereals with an added high protein food which are or have to be reconstituted with water or other protein-free liquid,
    3.    pastas which are to be used after cooking in boiling water or other appropriate liquids,
    4.    rusks and biscuits which are to be used either directly or, after pulverisation, with the addition of water, milk or other suitable liquids;

    ‘baby food’ means food intended to fulfil the particular requirements of infants in good health while they are being weaned, and of young children in good health as a supplement to their diet and/or for their progressive adaptation to ordinary food, excluding:

    (i) processed cereal-based food; and

    (ii) milk-based drinks and similar products intended for young children.

  • EU legislation

    Commission Directive 2006/125/EC on processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children (OJ L339, p16, 06/12/2006) of 5 December 2006 on processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children.

    Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on food intended for infants and young children, food for special medical purposes, and total diet replacement for weight control.

  • National legislation
    • European Communities (Processed Cereal-based foods and baby foods for Infants and Young Children) Regulations, 2007 (S.I. No 776 of 2007)  

  • Compositional Requirements

    The composition of these foods shall be appropriate for satisfying the nutritional requirements of infants in good health while they are being weaned, and of young children in good health as a supplement to their diet and/or for their progressive adaptation to ordinary food, in accordance with generally accepted scientific data.

    Information on the essential composition of processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children can be found in ANNEX I of the Commission Directive 2006/125/EC.

    ANNEX II of the Commission Directive 2006/125/EC contains information on the essential composition of baby foods for infants and young children.

  • Pesticides

    Commission Directive 2006/125/EC establishes the principle of the prohibition of the use of certain pesticides in the production of agricultural products intended for processed cereal-based foods and baby foods. However, this prohibition does not necessarily guarantee that products are free from such pesticides, since some pesticides may contaminate the environment and their residues may be found in the products concerned. Therefore Commission Directive 2006/125/EC requires that processed cereal-based foods and baby foods must not contain residues of individual pesticides at levels exceeding 0.01 mg/kg, except for those substances for which specific levels have been set in Annex VI of the Directive, in which case these specific levels shall apply.

  • Labelling Requirements

    In addition to the mandatory particulars stipulated by Regulation (EU) Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 labelling must bear the following information, as per Commission Directive 2006/125/EC:

    •    the age from which the product may be used, which must not be less than 4 months. Products recommended for use from the age of 4 months may indicate that they are suitable from that age unless persons having qualifications in medicine, nutrition etc. advise otherwise;
    •    the presence or absence of gluten if the indicated age from which the product may be used is below 6 months;
    •    the available energy value (in kJ and kcal) and the protein, carbohydrate and lipid content (in numerical form) per 100 g or 100 ml of the product as sold and, where appropriate, per specified quantity of the product as proposed for consumption;
    •    the average quantity of each mineral substance and of each vitamin governed by a specific level in Annex I and Annex II respectively, expressed in numerical form, per 100 g or 100 ml of the product as sold and, where appropriate, per specified quantity of the product as proposed for consumption;
    •    instructions for appropriate preparation, when necessary, and a statement as to the importance of following those instructions.

    The labelling may include non-mandatory particulars:
    •    the average quantity of the nutrients set out in Annex IV (in numerical form) per 100 g or 100 ml of the product as sold and, where appropriate, per specified quantity of the product as proposed for consumption;
    •    information on vitamins and minerals shown in Annex V (as a percentage of the reference values given therein) per 100 g or 100 ml of the product as sold, and where appropriate, per specified quantity of the product as proposed for consumption, provided that the quantities present are at least equal to 15 % of the reference values.

  • Import Requirements

    Information can be found here on food import requirements, including processed cereal-based foods and baby foods

  • Glossary

    Infants - Children under the age of 12 months
    Young children - Children aged between 1 and 3 years.