November 2004

Group forms scientifically-grounded guidelines for supplements

Members of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) meeting in Bonn, Germany have finalized international guidelines for legislation governing the sale and marketing of vitamin and mineral supplements.

Building upon a cooperative dialogue established at last year’s session in Bonn, government and industry delegates from around the world achieved a consensus on the utilization of a science-based approach to the establishment of the upper limits for vitamin and mineral supplementation.

The next steps involve the formal approval of the adopted guideline by the full Codex Alimentarius Commission, meeting in Rome in July 2005. Codex is a joint body comprising government representatives and non-governmental organizations, jointly managed by the United Nation’s (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the U.N.

“This satisfying result is emblematic of the type of progress that can be achieved when government, industry and consumers work together toward a common goal,” said Washington-based Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) Chairman Byron Johnson.

International industry bodies echoed this sentiment. “This guideline provides governments across the world with long-sought regulatory guidance to ensure both the safety of their consumers and compliance with their international trade commitments,” observed Simon Pettman, executive director, International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations (IADSA).

CRN’s ITDMC counsel Mark Mansour, of Morgan Lewis & Bockius, added, “The trade implications of this development cannot be overstated. For the first time, every country in the world will have a template with which to ensure the safe regulation of vitamin and mineral supplements, in the context of fair practice in food trade.”

Source: Council for Responsible Nutrition, http://www.crnusa.org

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