Comfrey (Hansard, 2 March 1993)

§ Mr. Soames

Following the report of the working group on dietary supplements and health foods, Ministers asked the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment to review the safety of certain herbal substances, including comfrey, which had their medicinal licences withdrawn but which were still freely available as foods.

Comfrey contains toxic substances known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids. PAs belong to a large family of alkaloids, some of which are known to cause liver damage and induce tumors in laboratory animals. The COT considered that, although the toxicity data available on the particular PAs found in comfrey were limited, there was evidence that they could cause liver damage in animals and man. The committee therefore recommended that action should be taken to reduce the intake of comfrey and its potentially toxic constituents.

Comfrey and its products are on sale in four main forms. Tablets and capsules (made from roots or leaves) are the most concentrated form, and the Food Advisory Committee, to which the COT's findings were submitted for advice, recommended that the Government should seek the health food trade's agreement to early voluntary withdrawal of these products, backing it up with legislation. Roots are sold for use in poultices but may be used in making infusions; the FAC recommended labelling to warn against ingestion. Leaves are mainly intended for use in infusions, but many also be consumed directly, leading the FAC to recommend labelling to warn against the latter use. Finally, comfrey is also available in the form of herbal teas. Like the infusions of comfrey leaf, teas when brewed contain relatively low levels of PAs and the FAC did not consider any warning labelling to be necessary.

Comfrey preparations used externally are not a cause of concern, and were not considered by the Committees.

In considering these recommendations, the Government have taken account of the many representations that they have received in recent months from the general public, doctors and practitioners of alternative medicine urging that nothing should be done to restrict the availability of dietary supplements and health foods. We recognise the strong public support expressed for herbal 80W products and supplements generally and acknowledge the force of the view that consumers should be allowed to choose these products if they so wish.

The Government have therefore considered very carefully whether the action recommended is proportionate to the potential problem. Nevertheless, the recommendations of the independent expert committees are clear and unambiguous, and we have concluded that they should in general be accepted.

Accordingly I have today met the health food trade and requested the immediate withdrawal from sale of comfrey tablets and capsules. The trade has confirmed that most firms have already decided not to maintain sales of these products, and endorsed the action proposed. Given voluntary agreement on withdrawal, we do not consider that regulations will be necessary. My officials are, however, informing the European Commission of the findings and the action taken, so that the Scientific Committee for Food can examine the matter from an EC standpoint.

In addition, I have asked the trade to consider effective labelling of comfrey root and leaves on the lines recommended, where these products are sold.

The FAC also recommended that an information note should be distributed via health food shops and consumer organisations to give wide publicity to its advice. I am asking for their co-operation in distributing a note which we have prepared. It will also be made available to other organisations, for example those that may include growers of comfrey.

I am grateful for the responsible, positive and practical reaction of the industry on this issue. I am writing simultaneously to the principal consumer organisations to notify them of the findings of the expert committees and the action being taken.

I am putting in the Library of the House copies of the Department's analysis of comfrey products, the advice of the COT and the FAC and the draft information note.