Independent advice for food companies
Frans van der Sman – Food Law Solutions
I support food producers and importers with clear, practical interpretation of European food law — including claims (EC 1924/2006), labelling compliance (EU 1169/2011), additives (EC 1333/2008), food supplements, and market access.
As a Regulatory Affairs expert, I work on both short-term (a few hours) and long-term (multi-month) assignments, from hands-on label compliance to building strategic regulatory affairs positions. My approach combines legal precision with a genuine pride in the products I help bring to market.
I work as an EU food law consultant and Regulatory Affairs expert, providing clear, workable solutions for labelling, nutrition tables, claims and additive use. My work focuses on two groups: RA managers needing temporary (interim) support – an extra pair of hands for your department, and smaller producers who need concrete help with creating or reviewing labels. For questions like “what is required on the label”, “is this claim allowed”, “how do I calculate nutrition values”, “what does the NVWA expect” or “is this permitted on the packaging”, you can come directly to me.
Labelling & Nutrition Tables Many organisations struggle with topics that appear simple but are legally essential: how to create a correct nutrition declaration, how to calculate sugars, fibre or energy, how to declare allergens, what does EU 1169/2011 require, and how to ensure an NVWA-compliant label. I support with: • creating and reviewing food labels • nutrition calculations without laboratory analysis • ingredient lists, allergen declarations and clean-label considerations • labelling for snacks, bakery products, plant-based products and beverages
Claims, Ingredients and Additives A large part of my work revolves around questions such as: when is a claim allowed, is this legally an ingredient or an additive, what counts as natural flavouring, can a product be positioned as a source of protein or fibre, and how to assess additive use within the complex additive regulation? I support with: • nutrition & health claims (EC 1924/2006) • additives (EC 1333/2008) • product positioning and concept evaluation • strategic RA considerations in R&D projects
Interim & Strategic Support For RA managers, I offer both short-term support (e.g. label compliance, claims, additives) and long-term involvement such as regulatory strategy, reformulation, project leadership or internal training objectives. This combines specialised EU food law expertise with years of practical RA experience.
Where I can add direct value • creating or reviewing complete labels • calculating nutrition tables • quick assessment of “is this allowed on the packaging?” • compliance checks on NVWA-critical elements (claims, allergens, ingredient lists) • support for snacks, bakery, plant-based and beverages
When this is useful • when a nutrition declaration, label or claim must be legally correct • when clarity is needed around “ingredient or additive” and dual functionality • when evaluating terms like “source of”, “high in”, “natural flavourings” or “clean label” • when marketing and RA need to reach a workable decision together
My approach: precise, practical and aimed at strengthening the value and integrity of the product. The goal is always clarity, so you can move forward quickly.
Frans van der Sman, EU Food Law consultant and owner of Food Law Solutions regularly publishes in vakblad VMT. See his author profile on VMT