Surge in food supplements notified to safety body

There has been a 300% increase in the number of food supplements notified to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in the last 10 years — from 700 in 2007 to over 2,500 last year.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of food supplement notifications needing a more detailed examination to see if they pose a safety risk for consumers.

The FSAI found that over 95% of the drops, tablets or powders, needed to be examined because of the high vitamin or mineral content.