Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones has taken up the cause of both UK consumers of food supplements and the UK health food industry.

For a number of years the EU Commission has been trying to implement the EU Food Supplements Directive. Under the Directive all EU countries would be subject to laws harmonising the permitted levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements.

It is feared by both UK consumers and the health food industry that this move would prevent food supplements currently being sold and consumed in the UK from appearing on the shelves. This is despite these products having been consumed in the UK for many years and the products meeting strict regulation from the UK Food Standards Agency.

If the permitted levels are set at the rate that is expected then it is estimated that the UK food supplements industry would be decimated and up to 4,000 UK jobs put at risk.

It was feared that in a recent speech the head of the agency of the EU Commission responsible for the implementation of the Directive, the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO), would set out the timeline for implementation of the Directive.

At hearing this Marcus joined with Labour MP Kate Hoey and Lib Dem MP John Pugh to lobby the UK Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, to oppose this move when he met with the EU Commissioner.  Following a ministerial meeting they took up their fight by writing to the Daily Telegraph expressing their concerns and by tabling an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons.

Following the representation from the Secretary of State for Health to the EU Commission, the speech from the head of DG SANCO did not set out the timeline for implementing the directive.

Nuneaton’s MP, who believes that this represents a small step in protecting UK consumers and UK jobs, said: “The battle may have been won on this occasion but the war is still yet to be won to protect the UK consumer and UK jobs.

“This Directive to harmonise permitted levels in health food supplements is a prime example of where the EU unnecessarily encroaches on how we live our lives in the UK and I will continue to work to resist this Directive.

“This is just the sort of thing that the Prime Minister wants to renegotiate before he gets the chance to give the people of the UK their say on the future of the UK in Europe, and I am fully behind him on this.”

Roger Craddock, Legal Director of Holland and Barrett, who are based in Nuneaton and employ thousands of people across the UK, said: “The European Food Supplements Directive could fundamentally affect Holland & Barrett and the entire health food industry. We are very pleased with the lead taken by our constituency MP, Marcus Jones, in campaigning for the interests of our customers and staff.”