MONMOUTH MP David Davies has joined forces with actress Jenny Seagrove to urge the Government to block a bid by Europe to ban thousands of vitamin and mineral food supplements.
Attending the launch of the Time Is Running Out campaign, spearheaded by lobby group Consumers for Health Choice, Mr Davies insisted people must be allowed to have free access to safe supplements of their choice.
Speaking from Westminster, Mr Davies said: “I am a firm opponent of the proposed EU Food Supplements Directive, which is poised to sound the death of vitamins and supplements at anything more than meaningless doses.
“At the moment, higher-dose supplements, all within proven safe limits, are taken by consumers to help stave off everything from general tiredness to coughs and colds and have been used safely in the UK for decades.
“The commitment to keep supplements available and to fight the Brussels bureaucrats was made in 2005, yet almost five years later the Government has failed to implement its own policy.
“I will stand up for retailers and do my best to protect the expected store closures and the thousands of jobs that could be lost as a result of this legislation.”
Sue Croft, Director of Consumers for Health Choice, added: “We do feel very let down and there is much anger among consumers.
“The Food Standards Agency was instructed to fight our corner in Brussels. They accept that our supplements are safe, yet they have failed to speak up for British people. As things stand, doses of all vitamins and all minerals could be reduced to meaningless amounts to appease countries such as France and Germany who wish to control the market. Such an outcome would be catastrophic.”