Europe Rules Out Ban on Food Supplements = Declared Illegal

[Guest guest]

Europe Rules Out Ban on Food Supplements http://www.sci-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=32418 Posted April 6, 2005 4:32PM The health food rules infringe basic EU principles of "legal protection, legal certainty and sound administration," said an Advocate-General at the European Court. Although today's declaration is merely advisory, it is rare for the full court to ignore the advice of the Advocate-General. The final verdict will be delivered in June. Interested in technology and innovation news? Add this site to your "Favorites" to find your way back easily next time. A threatened ban on hundreds of vitamin and food supplements was declared illegal in the European Court of Justice today. The proposed ban, which would have affected up to 5,000 widely used products, was ruled "invalid" by the court's main legal adviser. The decision in Luxembourg follows a legal challenge from the British health food industry. It means new EU safety regulations due to come into force here in August will almost certainly be scrapped. Campaigners against the ban, including Cherie Blair's former lifestyle guru Carole Caplin, said they were "thrilled" by the ruling. The regulations would have stopped the sale of 300 "unsafe" nutrients, ranging from boron, used to help osteoporosis, to zinc piclinate, said to boost the immune system. A third of British women and a quarter of men take food supplements in a market estimated to be worth at least Pounds 335 million a year. On the Continent, however, health food products are traditionally treated more like medicines. The health food rules infringe basic EU principles of "legal protection, legal certainty and sound administration," said an Advocate-General at the European Court. Although today's declaration is merely advisory, it is rare for the full court to ignore the advice of the Advocate-General. The final verdict will be delivered in June. The rules, spelled out in a Food Supplements Directive, were designed to tighten controls on the growing market in products sold under the health food heading -- natural remedies, vitamin supplements and mineral plant extracts. The directive was approved by EU governments in 2002, but manufacturers were given until 12 July this year to submit scientific dossiers proving their ingredients are safe. Once approved, the ingredients and products go on a "positive list" of substances permitted for use in health foods. The British Health Food Manufacturers Association, the National Association of Health Stores and the Alliance for Natural Health argued that the law is unnecessary and the costs of compliance would be prohibitive for many small firms. The plans caused huge controversy in Britain -- prompting a petition of more than a million signatures, a letter of protest to Tony Blair from more than 300 doctors and scientists and motions opposing the European directive law in both Houses of Parliament. © 2005 Evening Standard - London, UK. © 2005 Sci-Tech Today. Latest Science Stories Latest Tech News Politics and NASA's Management Culture Update: NASA To Launch Shuttle Before July NASA Safety Questioned by Space Shuttle Crew Space Station's Next Crew Heads to Launch Pad UN: Marburg Virus Epidemic Not Controlled What Does 4.4 Billion Years Old Look Like? States Seek EPA Action on Smog, Greenhouse Gas Product Review: LG Electronics F9100 Phone Microsoft SP2 Download Block Ends Next Week Congress Holds Hearings on Digital Music Google Lowers Price on Mini Search Sony Sells Half Million PSPs MCI Tells Employees It's Open to Qwest Nokia Unveils 8800 Mobile PhoneNavigationSci-Tech Today Home/Top News | Enterprise | Hardware | Enterprise Security | Data Management | Mobile Enterprise | Mac Tech Jobs | Tech Trends | E-Commerce | Internet Life | Innovation | © Copyright 2000-2004 SCI-TECH TODAY. All rights reserved.