FOOD SUPPLEMENTS DIRECTIVE

That this House notes that the European Commission expects early in 2009 finally to produce proposed maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements in accordance with Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive; notes that despite lobbying by officials of the Food Standards Agency and the involvement of the Minister, there remains a very real prospect that levels will be set which require the removal from the UK market of many popular higher potency supplements; expresses its profound concern that a measure which the Commission has claimed is intended to remove barriers to trade in supplements will restrict the choice available to British consumers and leave them exposed to the additional risks of sourcing their chosen products from unregulated overseas internet and mail order suppliers; fears that independent health food retailers, already hard-hit by the economic downturn, will be forced out of business by this restrictive legislation; invites the Government to reinvigorate its lobbying in Europe at the highest political level to save our supplements; and congratulates Consumers for Health Choice on keeping this issue so firmly on the political agenda both at home and in Europe.