Health Stores Ireland, coordinator of the Save Our Supplements campaign, has reported a sharp rise in support for its petition against proposed EU caps on levels for vitamin and mineral supplements, following a statement issued by nutritionist and author Patrick Holford to his 30,000 followers.

Holford’s post warned that consumers across Ireland and the wider EU face losing access to effective doses of essential nutrients, including vitamin D and magnesium, under proposed EU-wide harmonisation of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals (MPLs). He argued that the restrictions would push safe, evidence-based intakes of nutrients such as magnesium and B6 well below levels supported by decades of research into safe upper levels, first established in the UK and later adopted across the EU.

Holford highlighted magnesium as a case in point, noting that average intakes today sit well below the levels our ancestors are estimated to have consumed, and that the nutrient plays a recognised role in supporting sleep, muscle function, anxiety, blood pressure and heart health. He also pointed to B6, zinc, manganese and vitamin D as nutrients facing similarly restrictive limits under the proposals.

The European Commission says that the objective of harmonised rules for food supplements is to “protect consumers against potential health risks from those products and to ensure that they are not provided with misleading information”.

The Save Our Supplements campaign‘s petition, which had gathered close to 1,200 new signatures in a single 24-hour period earlier this week, has now surpassed 25,000 signatures overall and campaign organiser have targeted 50,000 signatures.

Health Stores Ireland president, Erica Murray, said the response reflects the strength of public feeling on the issue and acknowledged Holford’s role in driving the petition numbers: “Politicians are finally beginning to take notice and there have been some promising replies to hundreds of emails landing on their desks. There are several scheduled parliamentary questions facing the Minister for Health and the campaign group are hoping for a hearing at one of the Oireachtas special committees in September” . 

The campaign is coordinated by Health Stores Ireland with support from a sub-committee including Hannah Dare (Organico), Finn Murray (The Hopsack) and Matt Ronan (Evolv). The campaign continues to lobby TDs and MEPs and is urging members of the public across Ireland and the EU to sign the petition at saveoursupplements.ie.