11.01.02
A European Commission to extend pharmaceutical powers to judge and classify food supplements has been rejected by the European Parliament. The Parliament’s rejection of the Commission’s plans follows a campaign by the European Health Product Manufacturers Association (EHPM) and its members, who joined forces with the European Responsible Nutrition Alliance (ERNA) and the European food industry federation (CIAA). The campaign is part of a struggle to provide a clear legal status for food supplements under food law. The Commission has proposed that any product falling under the definition of a medicine should be treated as a medicine regardless of whether it also fell under the scope of other EU food or supplement legislation. Given that the current definition of a medicine includes substances that “modify physiological function,” food supplements, foods and cosmetics could all fall under this definition and therefore be controlled by pharmaceutical authorities under the new medicines Directive.