The FSA advise that following scientific assessment the European Food Safety Authority ( EFSA ) has recently issued an unfavourable opinion on the following 6 nutrient sources containing vanadium : ammonium monovanadate; bisglycintato oxo vanadium; bismaltolato oxo vanadium; vanadium citrate; vanadium pentoxide and vanadyl sulphate.

These substances do not appear in the list of vitamin and mineral substances in Schedule 2 to the Food Supplements ( England ) Regulations 2003, as amended, but had been permitted to remain in use in the UK, pending assessment by EFSA, under a derogation provided by Regulation 5(3).

The effect of EFSA’s unfavourable opinion is that the derogation is no longer applicable to the substances. Consequently, they are no longer permitted to be used in food supplements and any food supplements already in existence containing them can no longer remain on the market or be placed on the market.

The FSA will be issuing further information to industry and enforcement authorities in due course. In the meantime the FSA have requested information on food supplements currently on sale in the UK which contain the 6 nutrient sources listed above.

Details can be sent to : supps_consult@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk or fax : 0207 276 8564