The petition contains reference to more than 1000 peer-reviewed studies demonstrating the safety and health benefits of high-dose food supplements consumption.

Jill Bell, an Irish health food store proprietor who took the petition to Europe on behalf of the Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS), said it was hoped the strength of the clinical data referenced in the submission would sway Europe's lawmakers.

"Despite the fact Ireland is one of three European countries with a high-dose supplements commercial culture, the Irish government seems intent on setting maximum levels at RDA levels," Bell told NutraIngredients.com. "We question the legality of that position since Europe has not itself determined its own maximum level approach."

UK stance

The other EU member states with widely available high-dose supplements are the UK and the Netherlands.

John McKee, executive director of the UK National Association of Health Stores (NAHS), questioned the effectiveness of its Irish counterpart's campaign.

"We wish them the best but we have been down the petition route before and the typical response from the EC is that they are going through the process of assessing data," he said. "That has been going on for years and so we won't be mounting a similar petition from here as we have few resources to squander."

McKee questioned how much fresh data would be considered by the EC given it had set a January 2009 deadline to determine maximum levels in foods and food supplements across the 27-member bloc.

But he added: "The NAHS fully supports the IAHS attempt to raise the profile of the problems that the Food Supplements Directive will cause for currently liberal regimes in the EU."

One European food law expert agreed the petition may struggle to influence EC bureaucrats but acknowledged the petition's admission obliged the EC to at least scrutinise its content.

Right to choose

"This is wonderful news," said Ireland South MEP, Kathy Sinnott, who is backing the petition. She warned of the potential "draconian decrease" in Irish supplements nutrient levels the Food Supplements Directive could deliver. "The Petitions Committee will now send the petition to the European Commission for its opinion and investigation."

She added: "If a person wishes to take supplements more than the RDA, they will require a doctor's prescription. These minimalist levels are only enough to keep away deficiency diseases but it is not enough to contribute to good health much less enhance health. "

The IAHS petition calls for member state "authorities, consumers and/or stakeholders" to be able to choose "to retain access to the higher level supplements traditionally on open sale in those member states, notably Ireland and the UK."

"Crucially, not a single incidence of any serious adverse side effects caused by food supplements in over 40 years usage has ever been recorded in Ireland," it stated, adding, "The result of a virtual ban on higher level supplements will inevitably mean consumers will turn to unregulated sources of food supplements such as the Internet, which indeed would give rise to well-founded concerns about safety and quality."

The IAHS represents about 80 per cent of Irish health food stores.