Vol. 570 No. 2
442 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will instruct his officials to negotiate for the setting up of maximum amounts of vitamins and minerals at, or close to, the upper safe levels as determined by the EU Scientific Committee on Food. [18828/03]
Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to food supplements sets out a general framework and safety rules for vitamins and minerals in the EU and ensures that these products are appropriately labelled so that consumers can make informed choices. The directive establishes harmonised rules within the EU for the sale and labelling of vitamins and minerals as dietary supplements. Article 5 of the directive requires that maximum levels for vitamins and minerals be set based on scientific risk assessment and taking account of data on vitamin and mineral intake from other foods, while also taking due account of what is considered an adequate vitamin and mineral intake for an average person. As these provisions are included in the directive, they will be adopted in accordance with the standard procedures as set out in the directive and will not be subject to separate negotiation. The Scientific Committee on Food has established upper safe levels for a variety of vitamins and minerals and this work is now continuing under the aegis of the European Food Safety Authority.
