A letter published in the Daily Telegraph last week (April 23) warned of the threat to British jobs if the European Commission goes ahead and imposes low maximum levels for vitamin and mineral levels in Europe.The letter (see below) was signed by 117 well-known figures from the health food trade, including retailers, manufacturers and trade associations.
Sue Croft, director of Consumer for Health Choice, prepared and co-ordinated the letter writing. She told the industry: “The thinking behind the letter is that we very much need to keep everyone within the political arena aware of the damaging issues we are all facing – the loss of valuable products, the removal of consumer choice and the damage to the industry as a whole.
“While the MPs have gone walk about to actively campaign for the General Election, there is a danger that our fears – indeed the fears of this industry are swept aside. We cannot allow that to happen; we will not allow it to happen.”
The letter as it appeared in the Daily Telegraph:
Threat to health food
SIR – Concern about consumer choice has repeatedly delayed attempts by the European Commission to propose maximum permitted levels for vitamin and mineral supplements, under the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive. Once the election is behind us, the Commission will want to move with speed to set such levels.
Recent research has shown that setting unnecessarily restrictive levels would see the removal of hundreds of popular products which have been used safely by millions of consumers for decades. This would lead to the closure of more than 700 independent health food shops and the loss of 4,000 UK retail jobs, as well as hitting small specialist manufacturers.
The legislation is unnecessary; it is already illegal under the provisions of the Food Safety Act to place unsafe or inappropriately labelled food products in the market. The last thing the high street needs is further closures forced by over-regulation. Ministers must speak out more vociferously in Europe. Whichever party is elected on May 6 must make it clear that unnecessary restrictions on British consumer choice are unacceptable.
Trevor Henderson
A.C.G. Retail
Harjeet Gore
A.O.R. Europe
Martin Last
Anyone 4 Tea Ltd
J. G. Knott
Appleseeds Health Stores
Caroline Walker
As Nature Intended
David W. Trimble
The Aetherius Society
John Hanson
The Bay Tree
Steve Ryan
BeeBio Limited
Susie Rogers-Smith
BeautyWorksWestXI
Jeremy Stephens
Bestcare Products
Cherie Sahira
Best Life Co. Ltd – Cyprus
James McEuan
Biocare
Janyn Tan
Bioforce (UK)
Graham Mockford
Bodykind Ltd
Keith Woolley
Boots Herbal Stores
Ray Myers
Brunel Healthcare Manufacturing
Brian Bandy
Cell Life U.K.
John Clark
Chorley Health Food Store
B & L Johnstone
Clare James Health Foods
Robin Holiday
CLF Distribution
Michael Peet
Consumers for Health Choice
Susie Russell-Smith
Cornerweighs
Domininc Holmes
Cress
Carsten Holm
Diversified UK
Wendy Kent
Especially Health
Neil Timms
Fairhaven Wholefoods
John Frisby
Food For Thought
David Schemtob
Global Tech Holdings
George Minoudis
Golden Health Functional Superfoods
Katarina Hamilton
Goldshield Group Plc
Chris Quartermaine
The Granary
Adrian Spinks
Grantham Health Store
Liz Marriott
Greenlife
Ian R. Taylor
Green People Company
Harish Raniga
HARA
Keren Brynesmaclean
Health Food & More
Graham Keen
Health Food Manufacturers Assn
Valerie Perry
Health Foods
Simon Bandy
Health + Plus
F. Picton
The Healthylife Company
Antony Horwich
Healthy Pulses
Mishal Qadri
Health Zone
Juliet Brazil
Herbs, Gardens & Health
Brian Wright
Higher Nature
Patrick Holford
Holford & Associates
Peter Aldis
Holland & Barrett Retail
Pradip Pattni
Ideal Health
Craig Kershaw
Kershaw Health Foods
John Redman
Lamberts Healthcare
Stuart Carmichael
Mason’s Products
Zeff Eisenberg
Maxicorp
Peter Boddy
Maximuscle
R. S. Grant
Millstone Wholefoods
J. G. Bunting
Millmark Foods & Health Clinic
Margrit Mehta
MLD Home Therapy
Wendy Atkinson
Modern Herbals
Jenny Logan
Morcambe Health Foods
Dee Atkinson
Napiers Herbal Health Care
Wendy Atkinson
National Association of Health Stores
Stephen Parker
Natural Choice
R. A. Hill
The Natural Dispensary
Julie Goodwin
Natural Health
Dharmesh Shah
Natural Health Options
Wendy Kitson
Natural Source
Ron Sambridge
The Natural Way
Simon Robinson
Nature’s Corner – Perth
Liz Chandler
Nature’s Corner
David Barrie
Nature’s Own
Alexandra Johnstone
Nature’s Way
Roger Craddock
NBTY Europe
R. Myers
NeutraHealth Plc
A.J. Hill
Newdrive Solutions
David Galpin
Nutrition Centre
Sara Novakovic
Oliver’s Wholefood Store
Christopher Poster
Purely Natural
Adrienne Robinson
Adrienne Robinson Reflexologist
Giuliana Gualtieri
Revital Stores
Raj Vora
Revital Limited
David Pollard
Seaford Health Store
Ian Malcolm
Shanklin Health Store
Paul Chamberlain
Solgar Vitamin & Herb
Malcolm Simmonds
Specialist Herbal Supplies
David Barrow
Sunchlorella Corporation
Priscilla Hilder
Sunflower
Ray Hill
Sunshine Health Shop
David Cann
Target Publishing
Claire Penlington
Therapy to Takeaway
Stephen O’Connor
Thompson & Capper
Harbans Singh Soor
Todays Living
James McEuen
Totally Nourish
Mark Golbert
Tropicana Health & Fitness
Joanna Downs
Uni-Vite Healthcare
Sally Thornley-Nash
Vitamer UK
Cheryl Thallon
Viridian Nutrition
Robert Taylor
Vitabiotics
Claire Magee
Vitacare
Tim E. Snook
Wassen International
P.R. Gooding
Warwick Health Foods
Melvyn Stevens
Well Being
Richard Jones
Wellbeing
Paul Webber
Wellingborough Health Foods
Lesley Betts
Well Natural
Margaret Clark
Wickham Bishops Healthfoods
Mike Abrahams
Wild Oats Wholefoods
David Scrivens
Willows Ingredients
Sam St Clair-Ford
