§ Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment they have made of the remarks of the executive director of the European Food Safety Authority, at the Westminster Diet and Health Forum on 4 February, that the authority is able to undertake tasks referred to it by member states; and whether they will seek a review of the 200 or more nutrients currently on the market in the United Kingdom but omitted from the lists of permitted ingredients set out in the Food Supplements Directive. [HL1282]
§ Lord WarnerIn this speech on 4 February, the executive director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) referred to the fact that the European Parliament and member states, as well as the European Commission, may request EFSA to issue a scientific opinion on matters falling within its mission. In doing so he was referring to the provision set out in Article 29(1) of Regulation 178/2002/EC.
The Government do not intend to seek a review of the nutrient sources used in products on the United Kingdom market but not included in the list of permitted ingredients set out in the Food Supplements Directive. Substances already on the lists in the annexes have been assessed for safety by the former Scientific Committee on Food. Transitional procedures for amending the lists are set out in Article 4(6) of the directive. General procedures for adding substances to the lists are set out in recitals 10 and 12 and in Article 4(5) of the directive. Additional substances may be put on the lists following assessment of dossiers of information supporting their safety by EFSA. We understand that the food supplements industry is already preparing a number of such dossiers.