Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) on the conditions of use of certain substances to be used in food supplements-3

Food supplements are foods, the purpose of which is to supplement the normal diet and which consist of concentrated nutrient sources (vitamins and minerals) or othe r substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, alone or in combination.(....) In Spain, food supplements are regulated by Royal Decree 1487/2009, which transposed Directive 2002/46/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements into Spanish law. However, only the use of vitamins and minerals is currently regulated. Therefore the Scientific Committee has been asked to make an assessment of the proposal to authorise certain substances other than vitamins and minerals in the manufacture of food supplements. The six substances proposed by the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition(AECOSAN)are betaine, hydrochloride, phytosterols, lactase, melatonin, methylsulphonylmethane and polyphenols from olive oil, olive leaves and olives.The Scientific Committee has assessed each proposal, analysing the characteristics and sources of each substance, and the nutrition, metabolism and safety and has concluded, in each case, whether that submitted by the AECOSAN is acceptable from a safety viewpoint for use as a food supplement. In no event is the assessment intended as a guarantee of the biological efficiency of the substances and the estimated doses.The Scientific Committee states that, in any case individuals undergoing medical treatment consult with the doctor the opportunity or suitability of consuming food supplements, given the possibility of interactions in certain cases. In addition, in the case of food supplements with an antioxidant effect, it should be noted that in certain conditions and at high doses, these compounds may behave as pro-oxidants.ES; en; pfefsa@msssi.e