IMPACT OF THE FOOD SUPPLEMENTS DIRECTIVE
- Session: 2009-10
- Date tabled: 02.12.2009
- Primary sponsor:
- Sponsors:
That this House notes that after much delay proposals for maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive are expected to be published by the European Commission in early 2010; further notes that despite efforts from the UK Government and Food Standards Agency the levels remain likely to be set in a disproportionately restrictive way and will have a devastating impact on the UK health food industry; welcomes the recent impact assessment carried out by the Health Food Manufacturers' Association and the National Association of Health Stores to quantify the impact that the setting of maximum permitted levels will have on UK businesses; expresses its profound concern that the impact assessment suggests that the setting of maximum permitted levels could potentially lead to the loss of well over £100 million worth of sales, the closure of more than 700 independent retail stores and around 4,000 job losses; fears that smaller specialist manufacturers and retailers will be the hardest hit by this legislation; suggests that this process will restrict the choice to British consumers and leave such consumers exposed to the additional risks of buying products from unregulated overseas suppliers through the internet and mail order; and invites the Government to redouble its efforts in Europe to safeguard the future of the UK health food industry and the continued availability of safe, higher potency food supplements that have been on the UK market for decades.