Dietary Supplements

EDM number 183 in 1992-93, proposed by Peter Hain on 04/06/1992.

That this House notes with great concern that a Council Directive of the European Commission is being prepared with a view to bringing dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals, under European legislative discipline; notes that in Britain dietary supplements come under food law and may be sold freely, whereas in most Community member states they are classified as medicines unless the dosage is very small, and may be sold only on prescription, through pharmacies, which is a highly restrictive practice, has created a thriving black market in these countries, and would be both unwelcome to British consumers and prohibitive to British trade and industry; further notes that the United Kingdom already has ample laws to prevent the sale of dangerous products; and calls for the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Health to make a statement to the effect that the Government will not permit any clause in the aforesaid Directive which purports that products currently sold as food supplements should be reclassified as medicines, to be enforced in the United Kingdom.

This motion has been signed by a total of 65 MPs.