Food supplements: approximation of the laws of the Member States

The committee adopted the report by Emilia Franziska MÜLLER (EPP-ED, D) broadly approving the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading), subject to a number of amendments. It sought to include extra vitamins and minerals and their chemical compounds in the list of substances which could be used in the manufacture of food supplements, arguing that there was clear evidence of their usefulness. The other amendments concerned provisions on labelling to ensure consumers were properly informed, adequate purity and quality requirements, and binding notification procedures. Lastly, the committee wanted to ensure that disputes were resolved within specific deadlines and that the Scientific Committee for Food was required to publish guidelines for the criteria, procedure and timetable it adopted when assessing substances so that applicants seeking approval for products were treated openly and fairly and without unnecessary delay.�