Supplements

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Verdict on EU vitamin ruling due

 

Health food suppliers claim 5,000 products could be affected

A European directive tightening rules on the sale of vitamins and

food supplements could be overturned.

The European Court of Justice is set to rule on whether the EU Food

Supplements Directive, due to come into effect in August, unlawfully

infringes trade.

 

The rules would mean supplements could include vitamins and minerals

taken only from an approved list and places limits on upper doses for

vitamins.

 

But health food suppliers say they threaten the sale of 5,000

products.

 

The directive was approved by EU governments in 2002 and is designed

to tighten controls on the growing market in products sold under the

health food heading - natural remedies, vitamin supplements and

mineral plant extracts.

 

'Too restrictive'

 

The Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), the Health Food Manufacturers'

Association (HFMA) and the National Association of Health Stores

(NAHS) all oppose the plans.

 

They argue the legislation is too restrictive, and will threaten

thousands of perfectly safe products, containing more than 200

nutrients not on the approved list.

 

This directive is based on inappropriate information

 

David Adams

 

After reviewing the evidence presented by both sides, European Court

of Justice Advocate General Leendert Geelhoed said in April that the

directive infringed legal guidelines in his opinion.

 

If the appeal is upheld on Tuesday it would be only the fourth time

an EU directive has been thrown out.

 

The HFMA and NAHS argue the directive is an unlawful restriction on

freedom to trade, that implementation would impose an unnecessary

burden on British business and there are no reasons to believe it is

necessary to protect consumers' welfare.

 

They also say the directive violates the principle that decisions

should be taken at the lowest practical level - in this case by

competent authorities in the UK.

 

David Adams, director of HFMA, said: " This directive is based on

inappropriate information.

 

" Not only has the 'positive' list of ingredients been developed from

legislation originally intended for baby and infant foods but the

method of adding to the list lacks transparency.

 

" We hope the judges will follow the opinion of the Advocate-General

and declare the directive invalid.

 

" That will allow the thousands of safe and popular products at risk

to continue to be used by the millions of UK consumers who value

them. "