Vitamin limits set for challenge

The Tories say consumer choice on vitamins will be restricted

Hundreds of popular vitamin pills will be no longer be on sale in the UK if Parliament approves a new European directive on supplements, say the Conservatives.

The government faces stiff opposition on Monday as it tries to have the directive, which harmonises European rules on vitamin sales, approved in the House of Lords.

The Tories claim the plans, which include putting limits on recommended daily dosage, are a syndrome of a nanny state.

Health food manufacturers say the problems will make them foot significant bills but the European Commission says their predictions are wrong.

The Tories will vote against the approving the directive and predict they will win enough cross-party support to inflict a defeat on ministers.

The rising demand for health food products in recent years is shown by the industry now estimates it has a total annual turnover of £860m.

The Food Standards Agency last month warned people who take large doses of vitamins that they could be permanently damaging their health.

Limits

The European Commission proposed the new directive, which was approved by the European Parliament last year, partly to combat problems with trade barriers.

It is due to be implemented by the end of July this year and would establish lists of vitamins and minerals which could be used in food supplements.

Talks continue too on agreeing maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in supplements.

Earl Howe says consumers risk losing out

Conservative shadow health minister Earl Howe criticised the concessions the government made in the directive deal.

"The result of this is that some hundreds of popular products will no longer be available on the shelves of Holland & Barrett and elsewhere," said Lord Howe.

"For 6 years they have pretended that this would not happen. Now they admit that it will and that the EU rules that we are being forced to adopt will run completely counter to this country's approach on such matters, which has always been to licence products for sale provided they are safe.

"In other words, the right of consumers to exercise choice in buying health foods is to be curtailed drastically, all in the cause of European harmonisation."

'Distortions'

Lord Howe said the directive in its present form was unacceptable to consumers, as well as to manufacturers and retailers.

"I hope that the vote on Monday will be decisive and will serve to force ministers back to the negotiating table to secure an amended directive which fully protects British interests," he added.

The reality is that none of the food supplements will be banned

European Commission spokeswoman

Holland and Barrett, as well as other industry names, say the changes will mean the UK and other "liberal markets" will lose out.

The company said manufacturers faces significant costs if the directive goes through as they will have to reformulate many of their supplements.

A European Commission spokeswoman told BBC News Online the campaign against the directive in the UK was very distorted.

"The reality is that none of the food supplements will be banned," she said.

"All the figures put forward by the food stores are just wrong."

'Best deal possible'

Pills would be assessed on safety grounds under the directive, something the spokeswoman said was in consumers' interest.

No supplement manufacturers would be put out of business by the changes, she added.

A spokeswoman from the Food Standards Agency said the government would take care to ensure the maximum limits allowed in pills were based on scientific risk assessments.

"While the directive does not deliver all that we wanted, we do feel it is the best thing that could be achieved," she said.

The directive did allow EU states to continue with forms of vitamins and minerals not on the new list up until 2010 in some cases.