The EU plan to tighten the rules that govern the sale of vitamins and food supplements. The Food Supplements Directive is designed to improve controls on products such as natural remedies, vitamin supplements and mineral plant extracts. Under the new guidelines, vitamins and minerals must appear on an approved list before they can be used in supplements. Restrictions on the upper limits of vitamin doses will also be implemented.
However, controversy reigns over the directive. European Court of Justice Advocate General Leendert Geelhoed claims that in his opinion the directive infringes guidelines. This is good news for campaigners who have been trying to get a fairer law passed so that hundreds of vitamins were not banned from our shelves.
Amongst the campaigners are Jenny Seagrove and The Conservatives who are fighting the directive and seeking fairer legislation. Shadow Health Minister Chris Grayling believes "This is not the final ruling, but I am confident we are in a position where we're close to winning the battle to scrap this controversial measure, which would have banned hundreds of vitamins from our shelves."
Go to Vitamin Legislation
