CLEAR CHECK Services

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Review of Label and Marketing Materials

CLEAR CHECK can assist companies with an expert review of labels and marketing materials. Their aim is to achieve compliance while maximising commercial advantage.

Compliant labels are signed and stamped to indicate accordance with the HFMA Code of Advertising Practice, which is assured by our Trading Standards Primary Authority. A product-specific Certificate of Compliance can also be issued, upon request.

The CLEAR CHECK review is recognised by major retailers, providing users of the service with a defence of having taken all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence with regard to the compliance of their copy.

Advice and Support

CLEAR CHECK liaises with other EHPM member Secretariats, and constantly scans the regulatory horizon for any upcoming changes that might impact the industry. Their broad and up-to-date knowledge can also benefit companies in the following ways:

Regulatory advice by telephone or email
Training sessions tailored to the needs of companies
Regular mailouts, updates and webinars (HFMA members only)
Provision of Guidance Notes for example – Food Supplements presentation to the UK market

Service fees

The CLEAR CHECK services is charged by the hour:

Service Fee
HMFA Member	£86.00 per hour + VAT
HFMA Non-Member	£165.00 per hour + VAT
Telephone Enquiries	First 10 minutes (5 minutes for non-members) of initial enquiries are not chargeable. After that, the hourly rate applies.

Telephone Enquiries: First 10 minutes (5 minutes for non-members) of initial enquiries are not chargeable. After that, the hourly rate applies.

Certificates of Compliance: £50.00 per certificate + VAT (additional certificates requested at the same time are charged at a rate of £10 per certificate + VAT)

Service required at very short notice will attract a surcharge of 35% of the Net invoice amount + VAT. Please contact the CLEAR CHECK team for further details.

Invoices are submitted monthly and must be settled within 30 days. First time users of the service will require pre-payment via pro-forma invoice.

Turnaround Time

CLEAR CHECK aims to return comments within 10 working days, but this can increase during times of heavy work load or during staff holidays’

Review Procedure Information

The material submitted is reviewed by a Code Administrator for compliance with the principles of the HFMA Code of Advertising Practice, with reference to:

the relevant labelling or advertising regulations
the terms of the marketing authorisation or product licence/registration, where applicable
government and industry guidelines
other relevant codes of practice

Advice on any required/recommended alterations is then provided. Where available, the Code Administrator will provide guidelines on subjects relevant to the material submitted. In the case of issues not clearly defined in the regulations, current industry practice and the current approach of the authorities are taken into account to determine the suitability of a proposal.

Note that the following areas are outside the scope of the Code and are not routinely considered as part of the review:

accuracy and efficacy of formulation, except in relation to appropriateness of claims
the safety of ingredients and finished product
the accuracy of declared quantities in final product
the accuracy of GM status claims and other negative-presence claims
the determination of novel ingredient/food status
the content of any referenced websites, publications or similar [separate review of these materials can be carried out]

Agreement and the review stamp

When agreement has been reached on suitable copy, the copy is returned stamped with a reference number.

The review stamp conveys compliance with the principles of the HFMA Code of Advertising Practice and is provided based on current scientific opinion and current regulatory and industry practice. Until a body of case law has been built up to form the basis of an authoritative statement, advice on the law and application of the regulations can be given as informed opinion only.

The copy should be resubmitted for review every two years if it is still in use. At times, changes in the law, codes of practice or interpretation may necessitate an earlier review.

The review stamp does not constitute an endorsement or approval of the product or services offered, nor should it be regarded as a guarantee of the legality of the product. It remains the responsibility of the manufacturer/supplier/importer to ensure that the product placed on the market meets its claims.

If you would like more information, please do not hesitate to Contact us.

Regulatory advice by telephone or email
Training sessions tailored to the needs of companies
Regular mailouts, updates and webinars (HFMA members only)