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Food: Supplements

Answer

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for food supplements issues and is representing the United Kingdom in working group discussions relating to the EC Food Supplements Directive. The European Commission has indicated its intention to produce proposals for setting maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements in the form of draft amending legislation to go forward to the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health for consideration in early 2009. I am advised by the FSA that there have been no meetings between its officials and their counterparts of other member states aside from those during, and in the margins of, the first working group meeting held on 24 September, and that no such meetings have been arranged. No recent meetings have been held between health Ministers and the European Commissioner concerning setting maximum permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the directive. The FSA is continuing its work on determining the potential economic impact of setting maximum levels to support future negotiations. In the absence of proposals from the Commission, a range of possible options is being considered. Until proposals are received and this work completed, the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises of setting levels is unknown. I cannot, therefore, comment on the matter of compensation. The FSA has written to the Governments of Jersey and Guernsey suggesting a collective meeting where the application of the EC Food Supplements Directive and the associated implications for trade will be discussed, and it is awaiting replies to this correspondence. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has begun discussions about the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, as part of discussions on the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Directive, with the Government of Guernsey and wrote on 28 June 2007 to the Government of Jersey to open similar discussions. The discussions with Guernsey are ongoing.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

406; 696 c133-4WA

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Channel Islands Dietary supplements EU law EU action Minerals Trade Vitamins Herbal medicine

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk