Dr Andrew Shao of the Council for Responsible Nutrition explains that the Dietary Guidance Advisory Committee, on which the new guidelines are based, discourages multivitamins on the basis of conflicting evidence that prevention of chronic disease.
This is misguided, he says, as there is unequivocal evidence that they will fill nutrient gaps.
He is concerned that there could be serious public health issues, for instance if women of child-bearing age avoid supplements and therefore miss out on adequate folic acid intake, which reduces the risk of neural tube defects.