EU vitamin dose limits delayed: no consultation in 2026

What happened

On 22 October 2026 the trade publication HBW Insight reported that the European Commission is not planning a public consultation in 2026 on EU-wide maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements. The Commission’s own initiative page had listed a consultation for the third quarter of 2026. The Commission told HBW that this date was an error and that it had “no further timeline to share”. Its planning still shows adoption of the rules in the first quarter of 2028.

Common maximum levels were already foreseen in the 2002 Food Supplements Directive. They have never been set, so each country uses its own law or guidance.

What it means for you

• Nothing changes on the shelf for now. A supplement that is lawfully sold in one EU country can still be sold in another under mutual recognition, even if its dose is above that country’s own limit.
• Doses will keep varying a lot. Germany’s BfR recommends at most 20 µg of vitamin D and 6.5 mg of zinc per daily dose; Italy and France set binding limits of 50 µg of vitamin D; Spain has no general maximum. Our maximum-levels table compares 13 markets.
• In Great Britain the EU rules would not apply directly. But the planned UK-EU food (SPS) agreement, which the government wants in force by mid-2027, covers food supplements too, so future EU maximums could reach GB shelves.
• Check the label yourself against the EFSA safety level and, in the UK, the NHS figure for that nutrient. That works today, with or without EU limits.

We updated our maximum-levels guide with the new timeline on 2 November and recheck the Commission’s page every month.

Information only, not medical advice. No brand or shop paid for this item.