EU and Supplements

[shorinryu69]

I have heard today that the EU Court has ruled in favour of the limitations for the supplements industry.

What will happen? Will be possible to order the product in the US?

From Sky news

VITAMIN BAN UPHELD

Controversial new European laws which could outlaw thousands of vitamin and mineral supplements have been upheld by judges in Europe.

The European Court of Justice rejected claims by the British health food industry that the proposed Food Supplements Directive, coming into force on August 1, breaches EU rules.

The surprise decision goes against an opinion delivered by the same court's advocate-general in April, advising that the rules should be scrapped because they contravene basic EU principles of "legal protection, legal certainty and sound administration".

But the judges countered that the proposed arrangements, designed to tighten controls on the growing market in products sold under the health food heading, can go ahead as planned.

Health food companies have to submit natural remedies, vitamin supplements and mineral plant extracts for approval and inclusion on a list of recognised food supplements.

The judges backed the move saying: "A 'positive list' system is appropriate for securing the free movement of food supplements and ensuring the protection of human health."

In the UK, many of the products have been in regular use for many years, in what is a £300 million-a-year market.