Harlow's Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman Lorna Spenceley has written directly to Prime Minister Tony Blair about the threat to over 5,000 vitamin and mineral supplement products used regularly by thousands of Harlow residents.

From July, the EU food supplements directive threatens to ban over 200 safe, popular and well-established food supplement ingredients.

Liberal Democrat MEPs voted against the food supplements directive in the European Parliament. And Liberal Democrat MPs at Westminster have challenged the Labour Government to justify its support for the directive, after it used its majority to whip the directive through parliament.

Mrs Spenceley told Mr Blair:

It is likely that many people who faithfully use food supplements that are to be banned or re-formulated will be forced to buy them from abroad over the internet, which puts them at risk from unregulated businesses. Indeed, these measures may endanger people's health, rather than protect them.

She concluded:

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will continue to campaign to protect perfectly safe food supplements.