§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has further to440W review the scientific evidence relating to the safety of vitamin B6 supplementation; and if he will make a statement. [11719]
§ Mr. RookerThe scientific evidence relating to the safety of vitamin B6 has been reviewed by Department of Health's independent Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment—COT—on two separate occasions. I have every confidence in the ability of the COT and in the quality of its advice and I have no plans to invite it or any other body to undertake a further review.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the dangers to public health of higher dose vitamin B6 supplements. [10956]
§ Ms JowellThe Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment—COT—has considered the toxicity of vitamin B6 on two occasions. The committee reviewed the scientific papers published in national and international journals and noted reports of peripheral sensory neuropathy in humans. There was evidence of nerve damage in animals. It recommended that the level of vitamin B6 in dietary supplements be limited to 10 mg per day. This recommendation applies to supplements sold under food law.
In the light of the COT's recommendation, the Medicines Control Agency's Committee on Safety of Medicines reviewed vitamin B6 containing medicinal products and recommended that those sold on the general sales list—GSL, that is, those freely available to the public—should be limited to 10 mg, while those above 10 mg and below 50 mg should be available under the supervision of a pharmacist while those of 50 mg and above should be available under the supervision of a doctor—prescription only medicines.
§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has evaluated into the number of deaths or cases of adverse health reactions in the last 10 years in America arising from higher dose vitamin B6 supplementation; and if he will make a statement. [10942]
§ Ms JowellThe Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment—COT has considered the toxicity of vitamin B6 on two occasions. Lists of the references from national and international scientific journals which it considered are lodged in the Library. Following its consideration, the COT published a statement on 4 July 1997. Officials have no specific information on adverse health reactions to higher dose vitamin B6 products in America, but in the years 1987–96 the UK yellow card adverse drug reaction—ADR—reporting scheme administered by the Medicines Control Agency has received a total of 42 reactions associated with products containing only vitamin B6.