22.02.2022

Update - Maximum levels for vitamins and minerals

The European Union (EU) has wanted to set standard maximum levels for vitamins and minerals for years. Until today, however, the EU member states have not been able to agree on uniform values. In the meantime, the discussions have been resumed.

 The European Commission first asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to review previous opinions of the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) on various maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in order to take into account the latest scientific developments and findings. In this context, EFSA first reviewed the SCF's guidance for establishing maximum allowable intakes for vitamins and minerals. The recently published draft¹ serves as the working basis for a one-year EFSA pilot project and will be revised and released for public comment at the end of the test phase.

For previously published reference values, EFSA has developed an interactive tool² (Dietary Reference Values- Finder - DRV-Finder). With the DRV Finder, reference values can be found quickly and easily by population group or nutrient.

At the national level, maximum levels proposals³ were drafted last year by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, which are to serve as a basis for discussion and ultimately for the development of legal maximum levels regulations at the EU level.

We will be happy to advise you.  Contact  us for more information.

Sources:
¹https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.e200102
²https://multimedia.efsa.europa.eu/drvs/index.htm
³https://www.bfr.bund.de/cm/349/updated-recommended-maximum-levels-for-the-addition-of-vitamins-and-minerals-to-food-supplements-and-conventional-foods.pdf