§ Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What were the conclusions of the regulatory impact assessment undertaken by the Food Standards Agency in relation to the Food Supplements (England) Regulations; and what 35WA steps they intend to take to address the issues of missing nutrients which pose a threat to the United Kingdom food supplements industry. [HL3482]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)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 Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 were that making the regulations was the best option available. Doing so allowed the UK to fulfil its Community obligation to implement the provisions of the directive, maintain the widest possible consumer choice of safe and properly labelled food supplements consistent with the directive, and impose the minimum burden on industry.
The lists of permitted vitamins/minerals and vitamin/mineral 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 vitamin/mineral 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.
§ Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why (a) boron, (b) silicon and (c) sulphur are omitted from the list of nutrients permitted for use in food supplements after July 2005 under the provisions of the Food Supplements (England) Regulations; and what specific steps they intend to take to ensure that they are added to that list. [HL3483]
§ Lord WarnerThe list of permitted nutrients in Schedule I to the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 is drawn directly from the list of permitted vitamins and minerals in Annex I to the Food Supplements Directive. This list was drawn directly from established lists in existing Community food legislation.
The list of permitted vitamins/minerals and vitamin/ mineral sources in Annexes I and II to the Food Supplements Directive 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 vitamin/mineral sources currently 36WA 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.