Vitamins and minerals

KEY POINTS

Scope

The regulation covers vitamins, minerals and some other substances which are added to foods. It applies to:

• foods for particular nutritional uses;
• new foods and new food ingredients;
• genetically modified foods;
• food additives and flavourings;
• wine-making practices and processes.

It does not apply to food supplements covered by Directive 2002/46/EC.

It lists vitamins and minerals which may be added to foods.

Only vitamins and/or minerals listed in Annex I, in the form detailed in Annex II, may be added to foods, subject to the rules laid down in the regulation.

The lists may be modified taking account of the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Labelling

Nutritional labelling of products to which vitamins and minerals have been added and which are covered by the regulation is compulsory. It must contain the following information:

• the total amounts of vitamins and minerals where they are added to a food;
• the amount of protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fat, saturates, fibre and sodium (in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food labelling);
• the energy value of the product.

The labelling, presentation and advertising of foods to which vitamins and minerals have been added:

• shall not mislead or deceive the consumer about their nutritional value;
• shall not include any mention stating or implying that a balanced and varied diet is not an adequate source of nutritional substances.

Maximum and minimum levels

Adding vitamins and minerals voluntarily to foods can contribute to achieving adequate intakes of these substances and reduce the risk of deficiencies.

However, excessive intakes of vitamins and minerals may have adverse effect on health. For this reason, the regulation provides for the setting of maximum amounts of vitamins and minerals to be added to foods.

The maximum amounts take account of:

• the upper safe levels for vitamins and minerals following a scientific risk assessment;
• the potential intake of vitamins and minerals from other foods; and
• the reference intakes of vitamins and minerals recommended for the population.

If necessary, it also takes account of the contribution of individual products to the overall diet of the population and of the nutrient profile established in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1924/2006.

Adding a vitamin or a mineral to a food shall result in at least a significant amount of that vitamin or that mineral in the food, where this amount has been defined according to the Annex to Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.

Prohibitions and restrictions

Vitamins and minerals may not be added to:

• unprocessed foodstuffs, including fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish;
• beverages containing more than 1.2 % by volume of alcohol, except in specific cases and provided that no nutrition or health claim is made.

The regulation allows for a procedure to prohibit or restrict the use of substances other than vitamins or minerals which have a nutritional or physiological effect¹. For some substances, these procedures are accompanied by other specific European control measures. EU countries can submit a request to the European Commission, providing scientific evidence allowing it to classify a particular product in the regulation's Annex III (Substances whose use in foods is prohibited, restricted or under Community scrutiny). Implementing Regulation (EU) No 307/2012 clarifies the conditions for submitting such a request, as well as laying down the nature of the evidence to accompany the request.

The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) assists the Commission.