News
10-July-2007 - Government Chemist designs system to classify
dietary food and health supplements for applicable legislation
Government Chemist Review 2006 published
The creation of a simple system to assign the appropriate
legislation for a range of dietary supplements is one of the key
achievements described in the Government Chemist Review 2006, the
latest account of analytical, advisory and strategic work for the
Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
An increasing number of diverse products that fall under the
heading of dietary supplements are available for sale over the
counter and via the internet, with product labels such as herbal,
nutritional, health, nutraceutical, probiotic, and similar.
Enforcement authorities and the industry (manufacturers, importers
and retailers) often require scientific tests to show whether such
products comply with the law but clear guidance has been lacking
for products on the borderline between food and healthcare.
Dr John Marriott, Government Chemist, commented: "In
response to this situation, we created a decision tree to address
the key factors in deciding whether a product falls under the
provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 or the Medicines Act 1968.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) provided valuable contributions
to this guidance, and a technical group of the Local Authorities
Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) reviewed and
recommended publication. The decision tree was also placed on the
Government Chemist website for comment by all stakeholders and the
final report, ‘Classification of supplements as food or medicinal
products’, can now be downloaded."
Public safety is at the heart of the Government Chemist´s
wide-ranging remit to advise government, and the wider community
including UK industry, on sound science in relation to policy,
standards and regulation. As the national centre for analytical
measurement, LGC coordinates the Government Chemist’s science and
technology base and programme at Teddington, Middlesex, UK.
Elsewhere in this year’s Review:
- The Government Chemist (GC) outlines its scientific ‘referee’
role in ensuring that legislation protecting the food chain from
farm to fork is fairly enforced.
- The appointment of new science manager, Michael Walker, an
experienced Public Analyst and former Chief Executive of Forensic
Science Northern Ireland.
- How the GC resolved several cases of suspected fungal
contamination of food imports that had given rise to complex issues
between traders and enforcement authorities. In poor storage
conditions, moulds producing harmful aflatoxins can grow on natural
products such as spices and peanuts and localised mould growth
makes it difficult to take representative samples for testing.
- How stakeholders, many of them SMEs, supported a GC initiative
focusing on the first step to compliance with REACH, exploring the
real chemical make-up of industrial products so that risks can be
assessed in a joined up way across all suppliers.
- As concerns about global warming mounted, how the GC helped
bring innovative biofuels into the mainstream by developing
methods, which can track their use and ensure that duty is properly
paid at special rates introduced to promote their uptake.
- The launch of the website, www.governmentchemist.org.uk,
providing information on the latest research, guidance and case
reports.
The new GC website gives further insight into the remit of the
Government Chemist and the supporting research work at LGC. As well
as information about forthcoming events, users of the website can
find out more about the Government Chemist’s role as referee
analyst, including case studies, and a range of publications
including previous Government Chemist Reviews, technical and
foresight reports and copies of the Government Chemist’s responses
to public consultations. All information is free to download
without prior registration on the site.
Printed copies of the Government Chemist Review 2006 and/or the
report, ‘Classification of supplements as food or medicinal
products’, can also be requested by email to: government.chemist@lgc.co.uk.
Notes to Editors