HC Deb 09 September 2003 vol 410 cc329-30W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 8 July 2003,Official Report, column 776W, on the Food Supplement Directive, if he will make it his policy to add nutrients to the list of permitted ingredients included in dossiers submitted to the European Food Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement. [128556]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The lists of permitted vitamins and minerals and their sources in annexes I and II to the directive remain open pending safety assessments for additional substances. Dossiers of information supporting safety may be submitted to the European Food Safety for assessment. In the case of amendments to the permitted lists in the directive, Schedules 1 or 2 to The Food Supplements Regulations (England) 2003 will be amended accordingly.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 11 July,Official Report, column 1041W, on natural supplements, what plans he has to press for changes in the regulations to ensure that the maximum permitted levels of nutrients in supplements are set on the basis of safety and not nutritional need; what assessment he has made of the impact of this issue to the British specialist food industry; and if he will make a statement. [128516]

Miss Melanie Johnson

While the Food Supplements Directive sets out principles for setting maximum limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements, no such limits have yet been set. The principles in Article 5 of the directive state that maximum levels should be set based on scientific risk assessment and intake from dietary sources other than food supplements as well as taking account of reference nutrient intakes. The Government continues to argue for maximum permitted limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements to be set on the basis of thorough risk assessments and will continue to press this view strongly at every opportunity.

During negotiations on the Directive and when drafting the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, the Food Standards Agency consulted with a wide range of stakeholders. The potential impacts of the Regulations on the specialist food industry are summarised in the Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Regulations, which are available in the Library.