A proposed EU directive on food supplements could remove up to 95 per cent of vitamin and mineral supplements from shop shelves, the Irish Association of Health Stores has warned.
The directive states that upper safe levels of vitamins and minerals be established by scientific risk assessment. The EU's scientific committee on food would draw up the list of permitted vitamin and mineral safety levels.
The association believes this assessment would reduce the levels of vitamins and minerals present in supplements.
Mr Andrew Cape, a spokesman for the association, said the directive would stifle the Irish market. "For example, someone who has a nutritional need or someone wishing to ward off a cold with a higher dosage of vitamin C may find they can no longer buy the required supplement," he said.
The directive would lead to an influx of low dose vitamin and mineral supplements saturating the market. "It will lead to a costly reformulation by many or most companies of around 95 per cent of the products," Mr Cape said.
According to the health stores association, about €40 million is spent here on these supplements every year.
Mr Cape encouraged consumers to lobby their MEPs and the Food Safety Authority for changes to the proposed directive. The second reading endorsement of the directive will be held in Strasbourg tomorrow.
