Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Schedule 29 – Special purpose foods

Schedule 29 organises detail by product type and by regulatory purpose. The dominant concepts in the Schedule, with the sections that carry each concept, are:

• Calculation rules and units. For infant formula the energy content must be calculated using only the energy contributions of fat, protein and carbohydrate and using the energy factors set out in section S11,2. Results must be expressed in kilojoules (S29,2). Protein for infant formula must be calculated using nitrogen content multiplied by a conversion factor of 6.25 (S29,2A). Vitamin A content for infant formula is calculated using only the retinol forms listed in Column 1 of Table S29,23 (S29,2B).

• Minimum/maximum nutrient requirements expressed by reference unit. Many requirements are expressed per 100 kJ for infant formula (for example the L‑amino acid minima in S29,3 are stated per 100 kJ). Follow‑on formula requirements are also expressed per 100 kJ (S29,6). For other product classes amounts are expressed per serving, per one‑meal serving or per one‑day quantity as the relevant tables specify (for example formulated meal replacements S29,12; formulated supplementary sports foods S29,16).

• Mandatory vs recommended numerical limits. The Schedule distinguishes explicit minima and maxima in Columns 2 and 3 of its tables, which operate as numerical compositional limits referenced by the relevant standards (for example the required vitamins and minerals in S29,5), and Guidance Upper Levels in Column 4 for some tables which the Schedule expressly frames as recommendations rather than absolute maxima. The notes to S29,5, S29,6, S29,7 and S29,8 explain that Guidance Upper Levels are "recommended upper levels" and "should not be exceeded unless" reasons exist such as unavoidable content variability or technological reasons.

• Permitted forms. The Schedule lists permitted chemical or source forms for vitamins, minerals and other nutritive substances in S29,9 and S29,23. Those permitted forms are the only forms authorised by the Code for the product categories listed (for example only specified vitamin D forms can be used in infant formula).

• Optional nutritive substances and caps. The Schedule provides a non‑exhaustive list of optional substances that may be used in infant formula, follow‑on formula and other special purpose foods together with maximum amounts where applicable (S29,7; S29,8). Some entries are tightly specified as to maximum concentration per 100 kJ; others set only a guidance upper level.

• Prescriptive labelling format. The Schedule prescribes an exact layout and content elements for the "NUTRITION INFORMATION" statement used with infant formula, including headings, order of entries and units (S29,10 and illustrative example S29,10A). The Schedule also notes which entries need only be included when required by specific subclauses in Standard 2.9.1.

• Temporary exclusivity conditions. The Schedule may impose transitional exclusive use obligations on a permitted nutritive substance, as in S29,9A which places an exclusive commercial branding condition on the sale of bovine lactoferrin and a particular milk fat globule membrane concentrate for defined "exclusive use periods".

• Cross‑references to other Code provisions. The Schedule is built to be read in tandem with specific Code standards (for example references to sections 2.9.1,4(2)(a), 2.9.1,6(5), Standard 1.5.2 permitted uses, S11,2 energy factors, and other Code clauses). The Schedule supplies the numeric and form content those standards rely upon rather than restating the standards themselves (opening paragraph).

Together these concepts implement compositional precision, labelling uniformity and permitted ingredient form control for special purpose foods that the Code’s substantive provisions invoke.

The Schedule creates obligations or prescriptive technical inputs that directly or indirectly affect multiple actors in the supply chain and regulatory system. The primary parties that must interpret and apply Schedule 29 are:

• Manufacturers and formulators of infant formula products, follow‑on formula, special medical purpose products for infants, formulated meal replacements, formulated supplementary foods for young children and sports foods. These businesses must design formulations to meet the minima, maxima and permitted forms in S29,3 to S29,23 and calculate energy and protein content according to S29,2 and S29,2A. They must also ensure nutrition information statements follow the exact format in S29,10 and S29,10A when the relevant Code standards require such labelling.

• Ingredient suppliers and processors. Suppliers of vitamins, minerals, long‑chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, oligosaccharides and other nutritive substances will be affected by the permitted‑forms lists in S29,9 and S29,23 because only those forms are authorised for use in the specified product categories. Suppliers of substances with brand‑exclusive conditions will be affected by S29,9A which restricts sale under particular brand names during the "exclusive use period" described in that section.

• Brand owners and marketers. Where S29,9A imposes a brand condition, only the named brand may sell that substance for use in infant formula during the exclusive use period. Brand, packaging and promotional choices are constrained by the prescribed nutrition statement format (S29,10) and by the compositional limits that affect labelling claims (for example the claims listed in S29,11 for cereal‑based infant foods).

• Importers and distributors. As the Schedule is a Code instrument under the FSANZ Act and is adopted in New Zealand via the Food Act 2014 (NZ) per Note 2, importers and distributors must ensure products they bring to market in Australia or New Zealand comply with the tables and permitted forms listed. Transitional provisions in the Schedule’s application table allow sale during defined transition periods if a product meets either the Code as in force before or after the variation (see transitional description in the application, saving and transitional provisions).

• Regulatory and compliance personnel. Food regulators and enforcement officers will use the Schedule as the numerical and form‑based standard to assess compliance with the special purpose food standards in Part 9, Chapter 2. The Schedule supplies the technical benchmarks regulators will check against formulations and labels.

• Laboratories and testing services. Because the Schedule sets calculation rules (for energy, protein and vitamin A) and units (kJ, g, mg, µg per 100 kJ or per serving), laboratory analysts must report results in the exact terms the Code requires in order to demonstrate compliance.

Who pays. The primary economic costs fall on formulators and brand owners who must design compliant recipes, procure permitted forms of nutrients, label products in the prescriptive format, and, where necessary, reformulate or relabel products when transitional periods end. Suppliers of niche nutritive substances will face compliance costs to ensure their products match the permitted forms and labelling requirements. Retailers may bear costs associated with stock rotation during transition periods because the Schedule and the transitional notes permit sale of product complying with either old or new versions until the end of the transition window.

Who decides. The schedule is drafted and amended by FSANZ under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991, as indicated in the Amendment History which lists the legislative instruments, amendment numbers and commencement dates for changes to the Schedule. Market actors decide formulation and procurement strategies within the constraints the Schedule imposes.

Behavioural changes required. Producers must adopt specified calculation methods (S29,2; S29,2A), restrict nutrient forms to those listed (S29,9; S29,23), include and format nutrient information statements as prescribed (S29,10), and ensure concentrations do not exceed explicit maxima or,where applicable,exceed Guidance Upper Levels only for specified reasons. Exclusive use conditions will require particular sourcing arrangements during the exclusive use period (S29,9A).

This Schedule sets technical duties through tables, calculation rules and permitted‑form lists that are invoked by the Code’s substantive provisions. The following are the Schedule’s concrete duties and limited prescriptive rights:

• Duty to calculate energy using specific components and factors. For infant formula products, where paragraph 2.9.1,4(2)(a) applies, the Schedule requires energy to be calculated using only fat, protein and carbohydrate and using the relevant energy factors set out in section S11,2; the energy content must be expressed in kilojoules (S29,2). That is a duty to use particular inputs and units.

• Duty to calculate protein from nitrogen by a specified factor. For infant formula products, protein content must be calculated by multiplying nitrogen content by 6.25 (S29,2A).

• Duty to calculate vitamin A using retinol forms only. For infant formula products, vitamin A content must be calculated using only the retinol forms of vitamin A listed in Column 1 of Table S29,23 (S29,2B). The permitted retinol forms are listed in S29,23 and include vitamin A (retinol), vitamin A acetate (retinyl acetate), vitamin A palmitate (retinyl palmitate) and retinyl propionate.

• Duties to meet specified minima and maxima. The Schedule supplies minima and maxima for a wide range of nutrients. For example, S29,3 sets minimum amounts per 100 kJ for specific L‑amino acids in infant formula products, S29,4 sets maximum amounts for docosahexaenoic acid (12 mg per 100 kJ) and caps total trans fatty acids and erucic acid as percentages of total fatty acids. The large table at S29,5 prescribes minimum and maximum amounts per 100 kJ for many vitamins, minerals and other substances required in infant formula and special medical purpose products for infants. Those numerical values are the technical content manufacturers must meet where the relevant Code sections require them.

• Duty to use permitted forms. Where a Code provision requires use of a nutritive substance, the Schedule lists the permitted chemical or source forms (S29,9 and S29,23). Use of an unlisted form will not meet the Schedule’s permit list.

• Duty to present nutrition information in prescribed format. S29,10 prescribes the format of the "NUTRITION INFORMATION" statement and S29,10A gives an example including quantities expressed as sold. The Schedule also identifies which entries can be omitted unless required by cross‑referenced subclauses of the Code.

• Duty to observe limits on optional nutritive substances. Optional substances are permitted only within maximum amounts set out in S29,7 and S29,8, when referenced by their applicable standard.

• Limited rights in the form of recommendations. The Schedule frequently annotates columns as "Guidance upper level" and, in accompanying notes, describes those guidance levels as recommended upper levels derived from scientific knowledge and history of safe use. The Schedule expressly treats those guidance upper levels as recommendations and states they "should not be exceeded unless" higher levels cannot be avoided due to high or variable content in constituents or technological reasons (notes to S29,5 and S29,6). That language establishes a procedural right to exceed guidance levels only in exceptional and justified circumstances, rather than an absolute prohibition.

• Time‑limited exclusive use conditions. S29,9A imposes conditions during an "exclusive use period" for two substances: bovine lactoferrin may be sold only under the brand Synlait for use as a nutritive substance in an infant formula product during the exclusive use period; and a particular milk fat globule membrane‑enriched concentrate may be sold only under the brand Lacprodan® MFGM‑10 during its exclusive use period. The section defines the exclusive use period as commencing on the date of gazettal of the relevant variation and ending 15 months later, creating a temporary market constraint on these substances.

What the Schedule does not do. The Schedule does not itself:

• Define criminal or civil penalties. It is an instrument that prescribes technical and labelling content; the Schedule does not set penalty amounts or enforcement procedures within its text.
• Stand alone as the entire legal rulebook for special purpose foods. It is to be read with the Code’s substantive standards (for example the cross‑references to 2.9.1,4, 2.9.1,6, 2.9.2,10, 2.9.3,3 etc).

The Schedule is a standard under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth) and is part of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (S29,1 and Note 1). The Schedule itself contains no sections that specify monetary penalties, criminal offences or enforcement procedures. The instrument therefore does not, on its face, set out who prosecutes breaches, the available enforcement mechanisms or penalty levels.

What the Schedule records about compliance timing and transitional enforcement mechanics is explicit in its application, saving and transitional provisions. The Schedule includes a table detailing application and transitional arrangements for amendments and variations (see "Application, saving and transitional provisions"). That table and the accompanying descriptive text record transitional arrangements from specific variations that affect how long market participants may sell products complying with either the old or the new Code. For example:

• The Food Standards (Application A1230 - Very Low Energy Diets (VLED)) Variation included a Clause 4 transitional arrangement. Subclause 4(2) provided that during the transition period a food product may be sold if it complied either with the Code as in force without the variations or as amended by the variations. Subclause 4(3) defined the transition period as commencing on the variation’s date of commencement and ending 36 months later, and the table identifies the relevant dates for that variation (transition period 1 June 2022 to 1 June 2025).
• The Food Standards (Proposal P1028 - Infant Formula Products - Consequential Amendments) Variation establishes a transition period from 13 September 2024 to 13 September 2029 for the items specified in that instrument.

These transitional arrangements create legal tolerance for sale of products labelled before the end of the transition period, under the terms the variation sets out. The Schedule documents those transition periods and the option that products may comply with either the pre‑variation or post‑variation Code during the transition window.

Because the Schedule does not set penalties, parties seeking to enforce the standards or to obtain remedies for non‑compliance must look to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991, the relevant state and territory food laws and enforcement practices, and any additional Code provisions that translate a standard breach into an offence under domestic implementing legislation. The Schedule does not itself articulate those mechanisms.

Schedule 29 is an annex to and operational part of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, so its operation is inseparably linked to the Code’s substantive standards and to the enabling legislation and implementation frameworks. The Schedule documents several cross‑references and interaction points:

• Enabling and placement within the Code. The Schedule is declared in S29,1 as a standard under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth). The opening paragraphs state that special purpose foods are regulated by Part 9 of Chapter 2 and list the Standards to which this Schedule supplies technical content (Standards 2.9.1 to 2.9.6). These cross‑references mean the Schedule functions as the technical annex that provisions in Part 9 reference for numerical and form details.

• Cross‑references to other Code sections. S29,2 instructs that the energy calculation must use the "relevant energy factors set out in section S11,2", explicitly linking Schedule 29’s computational rule to a separate part of the Code that provides energy factors. The nutrition information statement entries are controlled by cross‑references to subsections in Standard 2.9.1 (for example S29,10 notes that specific entries need only be included when stated in accordance with subsection 2.9.1,24(4), 2.9.1,24(5) and paragraph 2.9.1,25(6)(d)). The optional substances in S29,7 and S29,8 are tied to Standard 1.5.2 permitted uses in some entries.

• Relationship with New Zealand law. The Schedule explicitly notes that "The provisions of the Code that apply in New Zealand are incorporated in, or adopted under, the Food Act 2014 (NZ)" (Note 2). That statement establishes the formal cross‑jurisdictional adoption mechanism but the practical compliance obligations for products sold in New Zealand will depend on implementation under the New Zealand Food Act.

• Amendment and transitional interaction. The Schedule contains an "Application, saving and transitional provisions" section that records how particular legislative instruments modify Schedule 29 and how long transition windows last. The Amendment History at the end documents amendments made under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 unless otherwise indicated, which frames the constitutional process for FSANZ to vary the Code and the Schedule.

• Interaction with labelling and compositional standards elsewhere. The Schedule supplies the technical numbers and permitted forms that other Code standards reference. For example, the compositional and labelling obligations set in Standards 2.9.1 to 2.9.6 are actionable only in combination with Schedule 29’s tables. Any enforcement or compliance assessment will therefore draw on both the substantive standard text and the Schedule’s tables.

• No standalone enforcement provisions in the Schedule. As noted in the "Penalties and enforcement" section, Schedule 29 does not set out enforcement mechanisms itself; those are applied under the broader Code, the FSANZ Act and the implementing domestic food laws. The Schedule’s role is normative and technical.

Where the Schedule lists Guidance Upper Levels, it frames those as recommended limits based on scientific judgment and safe history of use. Those notes are part of the Schedule’s internal interaction with risk assessment and technical policy; they do not, however, convert guidance levels into mandatory maxima except where the relevant columns specify maximum amounts.

The Schedule includes a detailed Amendment History and an "Application, saving and transitional provisions" table that together document variations, amendment numbers, FRLI registration and commencement dates. The compilation is identified as No. 17 of Schedule 29 as in force on 20 January 2026 (up to Amendment No. 247). The Amendment History lists amendments and corrections from the Schedule’s original publication in FSC96 on 10 April 2015 through subsequent amendments.

Key amendment milestones recorded in the Schedule include:

• Publication and commencement. Schedule 29 was published in the Food Standards Gazette No. FSC96 on 10 April 2015 as part of Amendment 154 and commenced 1 March 2016 (S29,1 Commencement note and the Amendment History initial entry).
• Corrections and insertions. A sequence of amendments corrected typographical errors, substituted entries and inserted new permitted substances or forms. Representative entries in the table include Amendment No. 161 correcting typographical cross‑references (F2016L00120, 18 Feb 2016), Amendment No. 168 inserting sodium fluoride as a permitted form of fluoride that had been omitted (F2017L00414, 11 April 2017), and Amendment No. 198 inserting certain oligosaccharides (F2021L00332, 25 March 2021).
• Substantive additions. Amendment No. 217 (F2023L00452, 19 April 2023) added bovine lactoferrin to S29,5 and inserted S29,5A. Amendment No. 223 (F2023L01561, 27 Nov 2023) added entries for sialyllactose salts, combinations of oligosaccharides and lacto‑N‑tetraose. Those changes reflect additions to the list of permitted optional nutritive substances in infant formula.
• Consolidation and repeal/substitution. Amendment No. 231 (F2024L01151, 13 Sept 2024) repealed sections S29,2 through S29,10 and substituted new S29,2 to S29,10A, and added S29,23. That is a package change that replaced a number of calculation and labelling provisions with updated text and added a new permitted‑forms section.
• Recent insertions. Amendment No. 235 (F2025L00163, 20 Feb 2025) inserted a new entry for vitamin K in S29,20. Amendment No. 240 (F2025L00857, 22 July 2025) added an entry for milk fat globule membrane‑enriched whey protein concentrate to several tables (S29,7 to S29,9 and S29,9A). Amendment No. 247 (F2026L00022, 20 Jan 2026) inserted 3‑fucosyllactose to the permitted list (S29,7, S29,8, S29,9 and S29,9A entries amended).

Transition arrangements. The amendment entries document transitional arrangements that allow products to be sold during a defined transition period if they comply with either the Code as in force before the variation or the Code as amended. For example:

• The VLED variation (Item [4.1] of the Schedule) included a transition period starting 1 June 2022 and ending 1 June 2025, during which products could comply with either pre‑variation or post‑variation Code rules (see the application, saving and transitional provisions explanatory text).
• The P1028 variation established a transition period starting 13 September 2024 and ending 13 September 2029 for the items in items [1] and [2] of Schedule 1, and allowed products labelled before the end of the transition period to be sold after the transition period if they complied with either the Code as in force before or after the variations.

The Amendment History explicitly records amendment instrument references, FRLI registration numbers, Gazette dates, commencement dates and short descriptions of the subject matter changed. Users of the Schedule must track those amendments because the Schedule’s tables and permitted forms have changed repeatedly and the Amendment History determines which values and permitted forms apply at any point in time.

The Schedule itself does not include any litigation history or list any court or tribunal decisions. The text contains no references to judicial determinations, contested enforcement outcomes, or administrative appeals relating to its provisions.

Because Schedule 29 is a technical schedule to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and the Amendment History records variations and transitional arrangements made under FSANZ processes, any disputes about the Schedule’s application (for example disputes about whether a formulation complies with a minima or permitted form) would be matters for administrative enforcement under the implementing domestic laws or for judicial review of administrative action, but the Schedule does not document such litigation.

Practically, users should note that the Schedule records transitional windows and exclusive use periods which are time‑limited regulatory arrangements that could give rise to compliance disputes between market parties or between market parties and regulators. The Schedule records these arrangements (for example the exclusive use conditions in S29,9A and the transition arrangements set out in the application table) but does not provide a record of any litigation that has arisen from them.

If a practitioner requires an authoritative picture of any litigation arising from Schedule 29’s operation, that information is not contained within the Schedule and must be obtained from case law databases, tribunal records or administrative review records. The Schedule’s Amendment History and the application, saving and transitional provisions provide the temporal map of changes that would be relevant to any dispute over which version of the Schedule applied to a product at any particular date.

The Schedule contains a number of detail‑level pitfalls that industry and compliance professionals should treat as operational constraints rather than policy choices. These "gotchas" follow directly from the text.

Units and denominators differ by table. Some requirements are per 100 kJ (infant formula and follow‑on formula tables, e.g. S29,3, S29,5, S29,6), others are per 100 mL prepared formula (nutrition information statement S29,10), some are per serving (formulated supplementary foods S29,14, S29,15), some are per one‑meal serving or per one‑day quantity (formulated meal replacements S29,12, formulated supplementary sports foods S29,16). Using the wrong denominator will produce non‑compliant labelling or formulation numbers.

Energy and protein calculation mechanics are prescriptive. Infant formula energy must be calculated using only fat, protein and carbohydrate and using energy factors in S11,2 (S29,2). Protein must be calculated from nitrogen using a fixed conversion factor of 6.25 (S29,2A). If producers rely on laboratory reports that use different assumptions for energy or a different nitrogen‑to‑protein factor, the reported figure may not match the statutory calculation and therefore may be treated as non‑compliant.

Vitamin A calculation uses only retinol forms. S29,2B requires vitamin A content for infant formula products to be calculated using only retinol forms listed in Column 1 of Table S29,23. Provitamin A carotenoids are listed separately under "Provitamin A forms" in S29,23, but S29,2B mandates only retinol forms for the vitamin A calculation referenced by paragraph 2.9.1,4(2)(c). That potentially excludes provitamin A yields from the vitamin A calculation unless a relevant Code provision allows crediting from provitamin A; practitioners should not assume provitamin A automatically converts into the Schedule’s vitamin A calculation unless another Code clause provides that conversion.

Guidance Upper Levels are recommendations, not hard ceilings. The Schedule repeatedly labels some entries as "Guidance upper level" and the accompanying notes describe these as recommended upper levels that "should not be exceeded unless" there are unavoidable reasons. That language allows regulated parties to exceed guidance levels in defined circumstances, but it also signals that regulators and assessing bodies will expect justification where those levels are exceeded. Guidance levels are not the same legal effect as the minima and maxima set out in Columns 2 and 3 of the tables.

Permitted chemical forms are the only authorised forms. S29,9 and S29,23 list permitted forms for vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and other nutritive substances. Using an unlisted chemical form is not authorised by the Schedule for the specified product categories. For example, vitamin D is restricted to ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol forms listed in S29,23. Practitioners must check both the substance and the permitted form before procurement.

Exclusive use conditions temporarily limit supply options. S29,9A imposes an exclusive use period for bovine lactoferrin (Synlait brand) and for a named milk fat globule membrane product (Lacprodan® MFGM‑10). During these periods the Schedule states those substances "may only be sold under" the specified brand names for use as nutritive substances in infant formula products. This is an unusual prescriptive condition that affects sourcing and formulation options for manufacturers needing those nutritive substances and lasts for a defined 15‑month exclusive use period commencing on gazettal of the relevant variation.

Strict nutrition information statement layout. S29,10 prescribes an exact nutrition information table and S29,10A provides an example including quantities as sold. The Schedule specifies which headings must appear and when certain sub‑entries (whey, casein, DHA, EPA, ARA, other nutrients) need only be included when required by cross‑referenced subsections. Failure to follow the prescribed order, units or heading text may render a label non‑compliant.

Transitional relief choices. For variations that include transitional clauses, the Schedule records that during the transition period a product may be sold if it complies either with the Code as in force before the variation or as amended by the variation (application, saving and transitional provisions). That gives producers the option to sell older labelled stock during the transition window, but after the transition period ends some labelled stock may be unsaleable unless it complied with the post‑variation Code. Practitioners must track commencement and transition end dates for each instrument in the Amendment History.

Multiple overlapping normative instruments. The Schedule is a technical annex to substantive standards (2.9.1 through 2.9.6). Compliance requires reading the Schedule in combination with those standards and with other Code sections referenced in the Schedule (e.g. S11,2 energy factors, Standard 1.5.2 permitted uses). Failure to read the cross‑references will produce compliance gaps.

This section sets out a practical, source‑grounded checklist derived strictly from the Schedule’s text. It is sequential and cross‑referenced to the Schedule sections so that formulators, labellers and compliance officers can use it as an operational guide.

1. Identify the product category and the triggering Code provisions. The Schedule supplies tables for specific standards in Part 9 of Chapter 2 (Standards 2.9.1 through 2.9.6). Confirm which standard(s) apply to your product (S29,1 opening paragraph).

2. Apply the calculation rules exactly where the Code requires them:

   • For infant formula energy, calculate energy using only fat, protein and carbohydrate and apply the energy factors in section S11,2; express energy in kilojoules (S29,2).
   • For infant formula protein, multiply nitrogen content by 6.25 to produce the protein content figure that the Code requires (S29,2A).
   • For infant formula vitamin A, use only the retinol forms listed in Column 1 of Table S29,23 when calculating vitamin A content (S29,2B).

3. Design the formulation to meet minima and maxima in the relevant tables:

   • For amino acids in infant formula, ensure each L‑amino acid meets the minimum amount per 100 kJ listed in S29,3.
   • Ensure fatty acids in infant formula comply with limits in S29,4 (for example DHA not to exceed 12 mg per 100 kJ; total trans fatty acids not more than 4% of total fatty acids).
   • For required vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, use the S29,5 table for infant formula and special medical purpose products for infants (confirm Column 2 minima and Column 3 maxima where present).
   • For follow‑on formula consult S29,6 for minima, maxima and guidance upper levels.

4. Check optional nutritive substances and their caps. If your formula will incorporate optional substances such as oligosaccharides, lactoferrin, L‑carnitine, lutein or milk fat globule membrane concentrate, consult S29,7 and S29,8 for allowed substances and maximum amounts per 100 kJ or per serving.

5. Use only permitted chemical or source forms. Before procurement and inclusion check S29,9 and S29,23 to ensure the substance’s form is listed. For example, if using choline, select one of the permitted forms (choline chloride, choline bitartrate, choline citrate, choline hydrogen tartrate) as listed in S29,9.

6. Observe exclusive use conditions. If the substance you intend to use is subject to an exclusive use condition in S29,9A (for example bovine lactoferrin or the identified MFGM concentrate), confirm whether the exclusive use period applies and whether the brand restriction affects your procurement. The exclusive use period is defined to run from the gazettal date of the relevant variation to 15 months later (S29,9A).

7. Prepare the prescribed nutrition information statement. Use the layout and headings in S29,10. Include sub‑entries (whey, casein, DHA, EPA, ARA, other nutrients) only when required by the cross‑referenced provisions (S29,10 notes). If expressing quantities as sold, follow the example in S29,10A.

8. Respect Guidance Upper Levels and document justification if exceeded. Where the Schedule provides a guidance upper level (Column 4 in S29,5 and S29,6 and notes to S29,7 and S29,8), treat these as recommended upper levels and document scientific or technological basis if you must exceed them because of unavoidable constituent variability or technological reasons. The Schedule explicitly frames these values as Guidance Upper Levels and recommends they not be exceeded except in defined circumstances (notes to S29,5 and S29,6).

9. Check unit consistency with regulatory references. Ensure labelling and internal quality control reporting use the Schedule’s units and denominators: per 100 kJ, per 100 mL prepared formula, per serving, per one‑meal serving or per one‑day quantity as specified in the applicable table. Mismatched units will lead to non‑compliance.

10. Track amendments and transition windows. Consult the Schedule’s application, saving and transitional provisions and the Amendment History to confirm which numeric values and permitted forms apply on and after your planned product commencement date. During transition windows some products may be sold if they comply with either the pre‑variation or post‑variation Code, but after the transition window the post‑variation rules apply (see the transitional descriptions in the application table).

11. For formulated meal replacements, formulated supplementary foods and sports foods, ensure serving size and daily quantity assumptions are correctly applied. The tables S29,12 to S29,16 set maxima and claim limits on a per‑serving or per‑one‑day‑quantity basis and also specify whether amounts are expressed as proportions of RDI or ESADDI.

12. For food for special medical purposes consult S29,20 to S29,22. These sections list permitted forms and the minimum and maximum nutrient amounts for products represented as a sole source of nutrition (S29,21) and for very low energy diets (S29,22). Ensure formulations align with the appropriate minimums per MJ or per daily intake as specified.

13. Maintain documentation and test evidence. Because the Schedule sets calculation methods, permitted forms and exact labelling formats, keep records that show how energy and protein were calculated, raw material certificates of analysis that identify permitted forms, and label proofs that match S29,10. If exceeding a guidance upper level, retain a technical justification and documentation that demonstrates why the guidance level could not be met within the guidance safe‑use range.

14. For New Zealand sales, confirm adoption under the Food Act 2014 (NZ). Note 2 confirms that the Code provisions apply in New Zealand by incorporation or adoption; follow local implementation rules under the New Zealand Act as required.

15. Consult the Amendment History when acquiring older branded ingredients or using novel nutritive substances. Recent amendments added substances such as bovine lactoferrin, sialyllactose salts, 2′‑fucosyllactose and milk fat globule membrane concentrates. Check whether any exclusive use period or transitional tolerance applies to those substances (refer to S29,9A and the Amendment History entries).

Following this checklist will align a product’s formulation, ingredient sourcing and labelling with the prescriptive technical content of Schedule 29 as referenced by the relevant Part 9 standards. Where the Schedule provides "recommended" guidance (Guidance Upper Levels) retain contemporaneous technical justification to support any exceedance of those recommendations.