by Deborah Condon

The sale of some popular vitamin and food supplements in Ireland may be under threat, following the approval of strict new rules by the European Parliament.

The rules mean that manufacturers will have to list the full ingredients details, as well as any possible side effects, on all bottles and packaging. Dosage instructions will also have to be listed.

As a result, an estimated 300 tablets will have to be tested at a cost of up to €400,000 per tablet.

The European Commissioner for Health, David Byrne, has insisted that the move will not ban supplements, but will instead provide a range of safe products.

However the move has been widely criticised by manufacturers and some MEPs, who feel it will restrict the public's access to supplements and may threaten the livelihood of health shop owners.

The rules still have to be accepted by individual governments.