Vitamin and mineral tablets used by local residents across Suffolk are under threat.

David Ruffley MP today signed the Conservative Party's online petition and also called on Suffolk residents to sign the petition to save the vitamins and mineral tablets used by millions of British people.

David has, in addition, signed Early Day Motion 892 in the House of Commons entitled: Implementation of the Food Supplements Directive which supports the campaign. The full text of the EDM is attached.

Under the new European Food Supplements Directive, vitamins like 1gm Vitamin C- currently on sale in Bury St Edmunds will be banned. This is not for safety reasons but in the name of 'European harmonisation'. Conservatives have launched an online petition, working in partnership with the pressure group Consumers for Health Choice who are distributing postcards and posters to local health food stores.

David said:

'I have had a colossal constituency mailbag on this for over a year! Labour have let down millions of vitamins and food supplements users by rubber-stamping the badly drafted European Food Supplements Directive. It is too late to reverse that decision, but it is not too late to change the way that the laws will be enforced and the small print. It is still possible to save many vitamin and health supplements that people across Suffolk have been using safely for years.

'I call upon local residents to join me and sign our e-petition at www.conservatives.com/vitamins. With the public's help, we can force Ministers to preserve access to these products on behalf of Suffolk's consumers.'