Renew Europe MEP Ciaran Mullooly has asked the European Commission to confirm that all scientific evidence and stakeholder submissions have been fully evaluated before it finalises maximum permitted levels (MPLs) for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under Directive 2002/46/EC. In a parliamentary question dated 28 July 2026, Mullooly also calls on the Commission to publish a comprehensive scientific assessment explaining the evidence and methodology behind any proposed MPLs, and to consider delaying a final decision until Member States, consumers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders have had adequate time to respond. The question follows a national petition in Ireland that has gathered more than 30,000 signatures, with consumers worried that proposed limits could cut the availability and strength of products they currently use safely. Stakeholders have also questioned whether evidence on differing nutritional requirements, dietary patterns, climatic conditions and long-established safe consumption across Member States has been fully assessed. The Commission is expected to reply within six weeks, and its response will signal whether it intends to proceed with MPLs, adjust the timeline, or publish additional scientific justification. The outcome will directly affect the food supplement industry, which faces potential reformulation and compliance costs if limits are set, as well as consumers who rely on higher-dose products, national regulators who must enforce the rules, and healthcare professionals who recommend supplements to patients. The question reflects a broader tension between harmonising the EU single market for food supplements and preserving national flexibility to reflect local consumption habits and dietary needs. Mullooly's intervention adds parliamentary pressure on the Commission to balance scientific rigour with public confidence and to ensure that any MPLs are based on transparent, comprehensive evidence rather than a narrow assessment.
Source📩 Open question ↗
Asked byCiaran Mullooly (Renew)