Vitamin Campaigners get backing from local MP Vincent Cable

4.13.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 24th Feb 2005

Twickenham MP Vincent Cable was praised today for speaking out against new EU regulations that would see thousands of vitamin and mineral supplements banned from July this year.

Local health campaigners and the lobby group Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) thanked Vincent Cable today for voting in favour of a cross-party motion in the House of Commons, calling on the government to renegotiate the Food Supplements Directive.

Vincent Cable said that he had "received a large post bag on the issue and a petition collected in Holland and Barrett in Twickenham. We have a well informed, educated borough which demands choice."

Consumers have been campaigning against the Directive for a number of years and it is fast becoming an election issue. CHC is determined to keep up the pressure on Government and has called on supplement users to take into account their local MP's position on the Commons motion when deciding how to vote in the upcoming general election.

Sue Croft, director of Consumers for Health Choice said: "This is a pernicious piece of legislation that will restrict the way we look after our health. Government negotiations on behalf of the public were at best half hearted and have shown a distinct lack of interest and understanding. This directive will affect the everyday lives of millions of consumers, and MPs have a duty to represent the concerns of their constituents. Vincent Cable spoke out in support in the Commons but we need more."

The Food Supplements Directive is due to be introduced into UK law on 1 August this year. At present there are over 300 safe and popular nutrients and nutrient sources on sale in the UK that are not on the permitted list. Unless weighty safety dossiers are submitted and approved for each, they will no longer be available for sale. This will affect thousands of products and will hit small retailers and producers as well as consumers.