Sending a notification regarding the marketing of food supplements in Portugal (mutual recognition)

In order to market food supplements in Portugal that are not yet on the Portuguese market and are already marketed in at least one European Union (EU) Member State (MS), the economic operator must notify the DGAV that it complies with the requirements for mutual recognition.

To be considered to be a food supplement, foodstuffs must be:

  • concentrated sources of nutrients and/or other substances with nutritional or physiological value;
  • presented in dose form (tablets, capsules, sachets and other pharmaceutical-like forms, including measuring spoons, cups, dispensers);
  • intended to be consumed in measured units of small quantities.

Service channels

Procedure and requirements

Procedure

  1. Submission of the form by the economic operator (producer of the goods, authorised representative of the producer of the goods, importer or distributor)
    • Click on the access the service button.
    • Confirm your identity using a valid means of electronic identification (Digital Mobile Key, Citizen Card or Digital Certificate).
    • Complete the form online and attach the necessary documents (see the ‘what is necessary?’ field.
    • Submit your application.
  2. Examination of the application
    • The form and the documents will be examined by the DGAV (National Authority for Animal Health).
    • If everything is in order, the procedure ends there.
    • If there are any errors, you will be asked for further information or to correct the documents. Once the applicant has provided this information, a new examination is conducted to ensure everything is correct.

Additional Data

If you have any questions about the marketing of food supplements under the mutual recognition procedure, please contact the DGAV by email at reconhecimentomutuo@dgav.pt.

Products that do not require a notification

The DGAV considers that products for sportspersons sold in dose form but in measured units of more than 25 g or 25 ml, and/or which have a total daily intake of more than 50 Kcal per day, fall under the classification of ordinary foodstuffs and therefore the DGAV does not need to be notified in order for them to be marketed.

See more information in Borderline ‘food supplement’ and ‘food for sportspersons’ products and in the Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on food intended for sportspeople.

Competent Entity

Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária

Address: Campo Grande n.º 50 1700-093 Lisboa

Phone number: 213 23 9 500

Fax: 213 463 518

Email address: geral@dgav.pt

Web url: https://www.dgav.pt/