Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed European Union food supplement regulations on businesses operating in Northern Ireland.

The Department maintains regular engagement with a range of stakeholders on matters relating to nutrition legislation, and this has included the European Commission’s proposals for potentially introducing maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements. To date this has not included healthcare professionals, but we would consider future stakeholder engagement requirements once further information on the European Commission’s proposals becomes available.

For information on the application in Northern Ireland of any future European Union changes to food supplements legislation under the Windsor Framework, and the Government's assessment of the implications for regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 September in response to Question 20033.

In addition, for the Department’s assessment of the potential impact of the European Commission’s proposed maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements in Northern Ireland, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 9 September 2026 in response to Question 20032.