asked Her Majesty's Government:

What steps they are taking to ensure that the European Union Commission sets safe upper levels based on robust toxicity data of vitamins and minerals in food supplements so that the rights of the United Kingdom food supplement and natural health industries to apply for authorisation of validated disease risk reduction claims under the European Union Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation are not prejudiced, and so that United Kingdom consumer choice is not unnecessarily limited. [HL71]

The United Kingdom Government have responded to the European Commission's discussion document on setting levels of vitamins and minerals in foodstuffs and Food Standard Agency (FSA) officials met with the Commission to discuss this further on 8 November. The UK response to the Commission makes it clear that safe upper levels should be set based on scientific risk assessment.

The Commission welcomed the UK response and indicated that the work by the UK's expert group on vitamins and minerals on setting safe upper levels for on a scientific basis would be a key factor in developing proposals. A timeline for developing proposals has not yet been agreed by the Commission. Working group discussions between member states may begin in late spring with proposals not expected to be brought forward before the end of 2007.