,Belgium has introduced a new cooperation protocol between the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) to enhance regulatory control across the foodpharma interface. Effective from January 2026, the agreement streamlines supervision of food supplements, fortified foods, specialised nutrition, medicated feed, and veterinary medicines across the distribution chain.
A key development is the delegation of certain food-law controls to FAMHP inspectors, who can now conduct inspections (including sampling and labelling checks) in pharmacies and wholesale settings on behalf of FASFC. This introduces a more integrated but stricter compliance environment for businesses.
The protocol also establishes clear responsibilities for handling non-compliance, including a 24-hour notification requirement for serious public health risks. However, regulatory uncertainty remains for borderline products (e.g., botanicals and high-dose nutrients), where classification between food and medicinal products continues to be determined case by case under EU law.
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