Food Supplements (Hansard, 27 March 2000)

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the timetable for the proposed Directive on Food Supplements; whether he has received a copy of the Draft Directive; what policy objectives he intends to pursue in connection with that Directive; and what steps is he taking to promote those objectives in discussions with other member states. [115798]

§ Ms Quin
In its White Paper on Food Safety published on 18 January, the Commission stated that it will adopt the proposal for a directive on food supplements in March 2000, with a view to it being adopted by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament by March 20001. The draft directive has not yet been published.
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The Government believe that the level of vitamins and minerals in supplements sold under food law should be limited only where this is necessary for safety reasons, and we are taking every opportunity to promote this approach during discussions in Brussels and other international forums.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to review food labelling regulations to ensure that consumers of food supplements and other health food products are given accurate, relevant information about these products, their safety, use and effectiveness in maintaining good health. [115795]

§ Ms Quin
The Government are committed to giving consumers clear, easily understood information so they can make informed choices about the food they buy. We have been pressing the European Commission for changes in existing food labelling rules, which are harmonised at Community level, to require mandatory nutrition labelling of all foods and for the development of harmonised rules on health and nutrition claims. In addition, we are supporting the work of the Joint Health Claims Initiative, an alliance of consumer, industry and enforcement groups, in the development of a Code of Practice on Health Claims.
In January, my noble Friend Baroness Hayman launched the "Better Food Labelling" initiative to identify whether current labelling rules and regulations meet the needs of consumers. The views received will be passed to the new Food Standards Agency to help judge whether the current regime is in need of reform, and for use in formulating its advice to Government on the UK's food labelling policy.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy in relation to the availability on general retail sale of safe vitamin and mineral supplements. [115797]

§ Ms Quin
The Government believe that in the interests of consumer choice supplements sold under food law should, like other foods, be freely available.

§ Mr. Fearn
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the report of the Expert Advisory Group on Vitamins and Minerals; and if he will arrange for the provisional findings of the Group to be made available for comment to consumer, retailer, practitioner and manufacturer representative groups prior to its publication. [115794]

§ Ms Quin
The Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals is expected to submit its report to the Food Advisory Committee in spring 2001. Whether the provisional findings are the subject of consultation with interested parties prior to this is a decision for the group itself. However, the group is committed to publishing the scientific reviews of the nutrients that it is considering so that interested parties have an opportunity to comment. It is also aided in its work by observers from consumer, food and health food industries and alternative medicine who are free to participate in the discussion of the scientific reviews.