John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 286: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way the food supplement Directive, 2002/46/EC, will be implemented; if she will prevent the sale of vitamins and supplements at dosages above the recommended daily allowance; her views on whether the RDA levels are guidelines only; and whether dosages above the RDA levels constitute a danger to a persons health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14632/08]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Food Supplements Directive, 2002/46/EC, has been transposed into Irish law by Statutory Instrument No. 506 of 2007. That legislation is implemented by the Health Service Executive, under a Service Contract Agreement with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). This ensures that consumers in Ireland are protected by the harmonised EU rules on the sale of food supplements, in particular the labelling of food supplements and chemical form of vitamins and minerals they contain. Work is ongoing at European level on the development of a methodology under which maximum safe levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements will be set.

I am advised by the FSAI that in general, healthy people obtain adequate levels of nutrients by eating a variety of foods in moderation rather than by taking added nutrients from supplements or in fortified foods. With the exception of vitamin A, it is almost impossible to over-consume vitamins and minerals from natural food sources. However, excessive intake of vitamins and minerals from supplements and fortified food sources can be a cause for concern if consumed in large quantities over a long period.

Examples of known adverse effects associated with over-consumption of some commonly taken vitamins and/or minerals include:

reduction in iron absorption as a result of ingesting calcium;

increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer as a result of excessive iron intake;

significant risk to unborn children of complications arising from vitamin A toxicity, where the mother ingests large doses of pre-formed vitamin A;

over-consumption of folic acid leading to masking of vitamin B12 deficiency-related anaemia in older people; and

a possibility of interactions between dietary supplements and prescription drugs and among several dietary supplements taken at the same time.

The FSAI has advised that the setting of recommended daily allowance (RDA) levels for vitamins and minerals based on the most recently available scientific evidence mean those international RDA levels represent optimal intake levels for up to 98% of the population. In addition to ensuring nutritional adequacy (and thereby preventing deficiency) such optimal levels are designed to protect against the development of chronic disease. While work on the further development of EU-wide standard RDA levels is awaited such international RDA levels can provide guidance for the setting of safe maximum levels for vitamins and minerals that are added to foods or available in supplements in the EU.