Food supplements and European regulation within a precautionary context: a critique and implications for nutritional, toxicological and regulatory consistency

J.C. Hanekamp*, A. Bast

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In this paper, we review European legislation in the field of micronutrient food supplements and find it wanting. It is shown that the precautionary principle, embedded in European food legislation, pre-empts innovative developments in this field. In view of the scientific advances in micronutrients research, we subsequently critique the precautionary perspective and propose a novel outlook on micronutrients food supplements regulation. However, this requires a transition from the "survival" approach of the current deficiency-related RDAs to a "health-optimization" approach of a n(ew)-RDA. Genomic integrity is central in this envisioned transition.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)267-285
JournalCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
Volume47
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2007

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