The Food Standards Agency has received 500 dossiers from the supplements industry providing information on vitamins and minerals to enable the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to make safety assessments.

On receipt of the dossiers, the Agency is allowing products containing these substances to remain on sale pending their assessment by EFSA.

EFSA will consider these dossiers in due course and may require further information.

This process could last up until 2009. Well known supplements on the list include selenium yeast, tin, manganese and vitamin K2.

The products containing these substances will only be removed from sale in the UK during this process if there are reported adverse reactions or EFSA require the product be withdrawn following their safety assessment.

With 500 dossiers having been submitted to the Agency by today's deadline, the great majority of food supplements people take will continue to be freely available to UK consumers.

http://www.food.gov.uk