The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7325 p707
13 November 2004

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Food supplement law is likely to come under pressure

European law on food supplements is likely to come under pressure as a result of an international agreement on maximum amounts of vitamins and minerals in food supplements.

The agreement will now go to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for final adoption in July 2005. After this, governments will be expected to take account of the recommendations when developing or modifying national food laws. The CAC is the organisation charged by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with establishing international guidelines on food law.

EU law will come under pressure if the agreement is ratified because it requires maximum levels of minerals and vitamins to be set based on scientific risk assessment. European law currently requires maximum levels to be based on nutritional need.