HC Deb 11 March 2004 vol 418 c1692W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) public and (b) professional consultation has been undertaken on which vitamins and supplements are used regularly in the UK in connection with preparing for the EU's Food Supplements Directive. [158569]

Miss Melanie Johnson

During negotiations on Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements and when drafting the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, the Food Standards Agency consulted publicly with a wide range of stakeholders. The results of those consultations are summarised in the Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Regulations, which is available in the Library.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department has contributed to the discussions at EU level on vitamins and supplements being placed on the EU's positive list. [158570]

Miss Melanie Johnson

Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements includes in its Annexes 'positive lists' defining the vitamins and minerals that may be included in food supplements as well as the range of forms (chemical sources) of vitamins and minerals which may be used in such products. Substances on the positive lists have been assessed for safety and bio-availability by the former Scientific Committee for Food and more substances may be added to the lists following submission of dossiers of information supporting their use.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) secured a valuable meeting between representatives of United Kingdom food supplements manufacturers and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 14 October 2003 to discuss dossier requirements, and has disseminated EFSA's advice to interested parties. Furthermore, the FSA has expressed its willingness to provide further advice to industry on dossier production if required.

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