An EU directive aimed at reducing the vitamin and mineral content of some food supplements was passed by the European Parliament yesterday.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has said the directive would affect only "very high- dose" supplements.
Any impact of the directive will not be felt by consumers for about three years as it has to pass through various EU channels before being signed into law by member-states.
The directive involves drawing up safe levels of vitamin and minerals in food supplements. The EU's Scientific Committee on Food will advise the Commission on safe levels, taking into account the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and the upper safe limits.
Health food stores fear the safe levels will err on the low side, forcing companies to reformulate their products. Consumers would be forced to buy greater quantities to get the same level of nutrients.
The Scientific Committee on Food has drawn up a list of permitted nutrient forms but about 300 nutrients commonly used are not on the list. Manufacturers have 36 months to submit dossiers supporting the use of their nutrients.
Over €40 million is spent on food supplements in this State every year. Mr Andrew Cape, spokesman for the Irish Association of Health Stores, said the directive could result in an influx of low-dose vitamin and mineral supplements.
Ms Nuala Ahern, Leinster MEP, said the new measures were "outrageous" and would grossly infringe consumers' rights. People had been safely taking these supplements for years and the directive would force consumers to purchase these products on the Internet, where there were "zero" controls.
The Food Safety Authority welcomed the directive and said it would bring clarity to the area of food supplements. Dr Ria Mahon, medical officer with the authority, said approaches to vitamin and mineral supplements varied greatly between EU states. The directive should be welcomed by everyone in the sector because it removed that confusion.
Ms Mahon did not expect it would affect, as alleged, 95 per cent of supplements in health food stores. She said it would affect only the very high-dose vitamin and mineral supplements. Fat-soluble vitamins in particular could be dangerous in high doses, she said, as they could be stored in the body for longer than water soluble vitamins.
Green MEP Ms Patricia McKenna said the directive was "draconian" and would severely affect the livelihood of many health food shop owners and alternative medicine centres. Legislators should not be guided by RDAs as they were quite low.
Ms McKenna quoted studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine which showed that supplementing with 100 IU of vitamin E for at least two years reduced the risk of heart disease in both men and women by about 40 per cent. "Despite this, the RDA for vitamin E remains at a measly 10 IU," she said.
