§ Baroness Whartonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they consulted about the ban on higher dose vitamin B6 either Dr. Ian Munro or other scientists who participated in recent trials involving high dose supplementation of dogs; and, if so, whether those scientists supported or opposed the introduction of the ban.
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonHigher doses of vitamin B6 have not been banned. The MAFF independent Food Advisory Committee (FAC) recommended, on the basis of advice from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), that the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements sold under food law should be limited to 10 mg. per daily dose. In addition, on the basis of the COT's advice, the Medicines Control Agency's Committee on Safety of Medicines reviewed vitamin B6 medicinal products and recommended that those vitamin B6 preparations sold on the General Sales List (GSL, i.e. those freely available to the public) should be limited to 10 mg., while those above 10 mg. but below 50 mg. should be available under the supervision of a pharmacist. Those of 50 mg. and above should be available under the supervision of a doctor (prescription only medicines).
110WAThe COT has considered the toxicity of vitamin B6 on two occasions. Before the second occasion, representatives of industry and nutritional therapy/alternative medicine groups were asked to submit information giving evidence of the safety of vitamin B6 for consideration. Neither Dr. Ian Munro nor any of the other scientists who participated in recent trials involving high dose supplementation of dogs were specifically consulted.
Earl Kitchenerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which scientific papers were taken into account by the Committee on Toxicity and the Food Advisory Committee in making their recommendations relating to vitamin B6 supplementation, and which of those papers have conclusions which have not been challenged elsewhere in the scientific literature.
§ Baroness Jay of PaddingtonThe Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) has considered the toxicity of vitamin B6 on two occasions. A list of the scientific papers published in national and international journals which it considered on the first occasion has already been placed in the Library and a further list of the scientific papers considered on the second occasion has now been lodged in the Library. The COT considered the totality of the literature on vitamin B6 toxicity, in excess of over 100 papers, and its conclusions were passed to the Food Advisory Committee. Although the COT was aware of specific instances where conclusions of scientific papers have been challenged, it is not possible to give a list of all such papers.