In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research at the end of May the prime minister said that the rules implied by the supplements directive were "wholly out of proportion to the risks run".

Industry lobbyist Chris Whitehouse says that the prime minister's position on the issue is a significant boost to the campaign run by Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) and "shows that at the very top of government there is agreement that the supplements directive is grossly disproportionate".

But while the trade groups fighting the directive await the European court of justice decision on the case on 12 July, they are concerned that the government and Food Standards Agency have not taken action to develop a strategy in the event of the directive being rewritten.

An Early Day Motion was put down yesterday in the House of Commons by Kate Hoey MP calling on Blair to intervene personally to ensure the government and Food Standards Agency act.