HC Deb 10 July 2003 vol 408 cc1004-6W
Mr. Spring

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether(a) his Department and (b) the Food Standards Agency is seeking to permit for sale products which are not included in the Food Supplements Directive list of permitted ingredients, but are recognised as safe and appropriately labelled. [123050]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Government have already secured provisions which enable member states to allow the continued sale of products which do not comply with the Directive's compositional requirements up to 31 December 2009 provided certain criteria are met. The Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, which implement the Directive in England, make full use of this flexibility.

In addition, the Food Standards Agency is urgently seeking a meeting with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and relevant interest groups to discuss the content of safety dossiers for those vitamins and minerals and their sources currently excluded from the permitted lists. The EFSA has responded positively and we expect a meeting to be arranged within the next couple of months.

Mr. Spring

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assurances he has received that the assessment being compiled by the EU Scientific Committee for Foods about the Upper Safe Limit intake of vitamins and minerals is based on scientific evidence; and if he will make a statement. [123155]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The European Community Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) established a task force of independent experts with expertise in medicine, nutrition, toxicology, biology, chemistry and related disciplines. The approach taken by the SCF task force in reviewing the upper levels of daily intakes of individual vitamins and minerals is based on an internationally agreed risk assessment model. This process takes into account all relevant scientific evidence. Following the formation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), this work will be completed by the new EFSA expert panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies, which will be advised by the former SCF task force. The report of the United Kingdom expert group on vitamins and minerals on safe upper levels for vitamins and minerals has been sent to EFSA to be considered by the EFSA panel.

Dr. Iddon

To ask the Secretary of State for Health why(a) sodium and calcium ascorbate, and (b) sodium, potassium and calcium hydroxide have been included on the positive list in Annex II of the EU Food Supplements Directive; and why magnesium ascorbate has not been included. [123562]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The list of permitted nutrients in Schedule 2 to the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 is drawn directly from the list of permitted vitamins and minerals in Annex II to the Food Supplements Directive. This list was drawn directly from established lists in existing Community food legislation.

The annexes to the Food Supplements Directive remain open, pending safety assessment of additional substances on the basis of dossiers submitted in support of the safe use of substances currently omitted from the annexes.

Dr. Iddon

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 June 2003,Official Report, column 720W, on food supplements, what representations he has received from BioCare since 1 January 2003. [123622]

Miss Melanie Johnson

No such representations have been received from BioCare. However, since 1 January 2003, correspondence has been received from an hon. Member and from a Member of the European Parliament referring to representations from BioCare. My hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary of State (Ms Blears) responded on 1 April and 1 March respectively, explaining the rationale for establishment of the list in Annex II to the Directive, indicating that the Government are doing what they can to facilitate submission of dossiers supporting additions to the list and committing the Government to continuing to press for a safety-based approach to setting of European Union maximum limits in order to prevent unnecessary restrictions to consumer choice.

Mr. Amess

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the conclusions were of the Regulatory Impact Assessment undertaken by the Food Standards Agency in relation to the Food Supplements (England) Regulations; and what steps he intends to take to address the issues of those missing nutrients which pose a threat to the UK food supplements industry. [120437]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The United Kingdom is obliged to implement the provisions of Directive 2002/46/EC into national legislation. The conclusions of the regulatory impact assessment undertaken in relation to the Food Supplement (England) Regulations 2003 were that making the current Regulations was the best option available. It maintains the widest possible consumer choice of safe and properly labelled food supplements consistent with the Directive, and imposes the minimum burden on industry.

The lists of permitted vitamins/minerals and their sources in the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 can be extended if additions are made to the permitted lists in the annexes to the Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC on which the Regulations are based. These annexes remain open pending safety assessment of additional vitamins and minerals and their sources. Industry is currently working to compile safety dossiers for some of the vitamins and minerals and their sources currently omitted from the Annexes.

The Food Standards Agency, in recognition of the difficulties associated with dossier production, and the timescale for dossier submission, is pressing the European Food Safety Authority for an urgent, substantive meeting with relevant parties to discuss dossier requirements.