The GVH has published an information booklet on the rules for claims that can be used in the advertising of foods and dietary supplements.

Rigó Csaba Balázs
elnök
GVH

With the guide, the GVH aims to provide guidance to businesses seeking to comply with the law with the help of specific examples and at the same time protect Hungarian consumers, they wrote.

Among the guidelines in the information booklet It was emphasized that it is prohibited to attribute medicinal properties to foods, and this is not permitted under any circumstances. Thus, commercial practices related to foods may not attribute to the product properties for the prevention, treatment or cure of human diseases, nor may they imply this.

The GVH recommends that businesses seeking to comply with the law study the information material published by the office when developing their commercial communication related to their food products and dietary supplements. According to the competition authority, it is worth seeking the professional opinion of organizations familiar with legal regulations when planning communication.

The development of the information booklet was justified by the fact that the Hungarian Competition Authority has encountered the common practice in numerous proceedings that companies prefer to use claims regarding the nutritional content of products and their possible effects on the human body when marketing and advertising food products, and in particular dietary supplements within this category. These claims are not prohibited, but their application is strictly regulated, and both domestic and European Union legislation sets limits and prohibitions.

Based on its procedural experience and due to the relatively high number of illegal practices, the GVH has issued this guide for businesses seeking to comply with the law, which can be found on the website of the Hungarian Competition Authority, gvh.hu, in the For Professional Users column, under Information.