Health Food Industry (Hansard, 27 May 2004)

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Minister of Health responsible for consumer affairs declined the request of the Health Food Manufacturers' Association to meet to discuss issues facing the industry. [165490]

§ Mr. Flook
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to meet representatives of the food supplements industry to discuss progress with the Food Supplements Directive; [171988]
(2) what plans he has to meet Commissioner Byrne to discuss the Food Supplements Directive. [171989]

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has held on the impact of the European Food Supplements Directive on the food supplements industry; and what the results of the discussions were; [170580]
1835W
(2) what plans he has to meet (a) Commissioner Byrne and (b) food supplements industry representatives to discuss the impact of the Food Supplements Directive on the food supplements industry. [170581]

§ Mr. Gregory Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet representatives of natural health food companies to discuss the Food Supplements Directive. [168456]

§ Sir Sydney Chapman
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he or the Minister for his Department will meet representatives of the health food industry on matters relating to the proposed EU Directive on vitamin and mineral supplements. [165466]

§ Miss Melanie Johnson
Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements came into force on 12 July 2002. The Food Supplements Regulations England 2003, which implement the Directive in England, were laid before Parliament in June 2003 and the provisions are set to come into force on 1 August 2005. There is parallel legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In October 2003, I had a useful meeting with representatives of the health food industry to discuss their concerns over the potential impact of the Directive, particularly relating to the submission of safety dossiers to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and to the future setting of European maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements.
Since then there has been a constructive meeting, facilitated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), between industry representatives and representatives of the EFSA to discuss safety dossiers.
In addition, I recently set out the Government's views on the setting of maximum limits to Commissioner David Byrne. The EFSA is continuing work on safe upper limits for intakes of vitamins and minerals begun by the Scientific Committee on Food. It is not expected to complete this work until Summer 2005 at the earliest. The Commission will not publish a proposal on European Union maximum limits until this work is complete. Commissioner Byrne and I agreed to talk again when the EFSA's advice has been published and, if appropriate, meet. In the meantime, officials continue to press the case for safety based maximum limits in all the relevant European forums. They are keeping in close contact with the Commission officials, who will in due course draft the proposal on EU maximum limits. I have asked for progress reports.
I am willing to meet food supplement industry representatives again. However, I have suggested to them that, before such a meeting takes place, it would be useful for industry technical advisors to meet FSA officials to discuss detailed technical issues relating to dossiers and then for the industry to gain experience of submitting such dossiers to the EFSA.