EU - next step towards food supplement directive

In anticipation of final approval by the European Parliament of the proposed Directive relating to food supplements, the European Union Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has issued its first opinions regarding the tolerable upper intake limits (UL) of vitamins and minerals.

ULs are the maximum level of total chronic daily intake of a nutrient judged to be unlikely to pose adverse health effects. These are likely to form the basis for upper safe limits to be imposed for vitamins and minerals.

It is planned that all vitamins, essential minerals and trace elements which were included by the SCF in its 1993 report on recommended dietary intakes will be included in this review. To date the Committee has released a total of 13 opinions:

- Vitamin A (Supplemental Beta-Carotene) - doses of 20m/g or more contraindicated for use in current heavy smokers, otherwise insufficient information currently available to set a UL -Vitamin B6 - UL of 25mg/day for adults -Vitamin B12 - has a history of safe long term use, therefore no UL was recommended -Folate - UL of 1mg/day -Manganese - no UL recommended due to limited data available -Selenium - UL of 300ug/day. This value covers Selenium intake from all sources of food including supplements -Molybdenum - UL of 0.6mg/day -Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - no UL recommended -Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - no UL recommended -Biotin - no UL recommended -Magnesium - UL of 250mg/day -Pantothenic Acid - no UL recommended -Niacin (Nicotinic Acid and Nicotinamide) - UL set at 12.5mg/kg body weight.