EU Food Supplement Directive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

EU Food Supplement Directive - Essay Example The directive which took effect in 2005 was also meant to ensure free movement of these products across national borders since there would be harmonised standards of all the supplements. The directive (2002/46/EC) therefore gives important definition on the limits and ingredient for supplements. (Jungbeck, 2004, p. 1) Among the 25 nations which makes up the EU, the EU has put in place directive regarding Dietary supplements which actually reclassifies vitamin supplements as medical drugs and allows for low dosage level in the usage while at the same time it outlaws many other supplements ingredients which are currently unavailable. The EU has therefore created a positive list which mandates some of the dietary supplements which are supposed to be sold in the region. Among the victims of this list has been vitamin E which is widely used by the population. Although this has been turned to legal battle between the health companies and the EU court ruling from the EU courts has given a go ahead in the implementation of the directive. This has been upheld in the sense that it is meant to protect the pupation from the adverse effects of these supplements. The alliance for Natural Health has been one of the umbrella bodies which have taken various measures which are meant to reverse the effect of the directive. It has been calling for the EU to overturn the directive and allow the sale of the supplements to continue. But in 2005 the EU court in Luxemburg gave a ruling which confirmed that the directives were put in place to stay and protect the health of the EU residents. It has therefore been argued that the EU has given the positive list of ingredient which should be used in the supplements and therefore by banning the use of some ingredients, the EU is acting in the interest of the public health. A dietary supplement which is common known as food supplement in the market is a aimed at supplying the important nutrients to the body like vitamins, mineral fatty acids, amino acids and others. Therefore it is usually intended to supplement the supply of nutrient form food especially for the import nutrients which are not supplied in adequate amount in the body. But scientific research has proved that some of the mineral supplement which are used are actual harmful to the body and this has been the main argument of the EU. It has been calling for the continued sale of supplements which are beneficial to the body and banning of those which are not beneficial to the body. The EU directive has shown that there has to prove that the supplements are safe to use both in their quality and their quantity. This is based on the fact that some of the vitamin supplements are very essential when supplied in small amounts but they can be very harmful when the they are supplied in large amount to the body notably among this being vitamin A which is widely supplemented. Therefore the EU directive asserts that it is only those supplements which are deemed safe for the body that are supposed to be sold. The EU has also established that food supplement must not be labelled with drug claims which are contrary to the health concept but which have been widely practiced in many countries in the