Codex Adopts Supplement Guideline

ROME--The Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted the Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplement Guideline on July 4 during its meeting here. Adoption of the draft standard on vitamin and mineral labeling does not replace existing national standards, but can be used as a guideline for countries developing regulations concerning the sale of vitamin and mineral products.

Codex, a joint commission of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), develops food standards and guidelines in an effort to promote fair international trade. The vitamin and mineral guideline has been under development for more than a decade, and has been surrounded by controversy, primarily concerning the establishment of safety parameters.

In its final form, the guideline requires maximum consumption levels for vitamin and mineral supplements be based on safety evaluation through risk assessment, rather than recommended daily allowances (RDAs). In addition, the regulation applies only to vitamin and mineral supplements in countries where the products are regulated as foods, not drugs. There are also requirements for the safety, purity and bioavailability of the composition and source of the vitamins and minerals, as well as the packaging and labeling of such products.

The next step will be FAOs development of a risk assessment methodology to determine the upper safety levels.