27 October 2020, Budapest – The food supplement CalciTrio was yet again advertised by its distributor in a way that infringes the law. The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has imposed a fine of almost HUF 47 million on the undertaking.
The investigation of the Hungarian Competition Authority has found that Innovelle Pharma Kft. has infringed the provisions regarding claims made on foods when it made misleading, not permitted claims in its advertisements in the press, on television and on the internet about its film-coated and effervescent tablet food supplement products named CalciTrio.
The European Community law directly regulates nutrition and health claims made on foods. According to these regulations, making any health claim on foods is in principle prohibited unless such claim complies with the conditions set forth in the regulation and is included in the itemised EU list of permitted health claims, based on scientific facts. Extending beyond the permitted conditions, the undertaking made the misleading claim that its product helps calcium absorption and incorporation into bones. According to the list, however, it could only have made the claim that the component of its product contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Thus, the commercial practice of the undertaking has been deemed unfair.
The GVH completed its competition supervision proceeding against Innovelle Pharma Kft. two years ago in which it found an infringement in connection with, among others, the same product, due to the same conduct. This time, the Competition Authority has also taken into account the repeated infringement and imposed a competition supervision fine of HUF 46.9 million on the undertaking.
The official registration number of the case is: VJ/21/2019.
GVH Press Office