ABCL Submission to NHMRC NRV review for Vitamin B6
The Australian Beverages Council has made a submission to the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) review of the Nutrient Reference Values for vitamin B6. The review proposes lowering the adult Upper Level of Intake (UL) from 50 mg/day to 14 mg/day.
The ABCL acknowledges the evidence behind the proposed reduction. The submission notes that the NHMRC’s own evidence identifies high-dose vitamin B6 supplements, rather than foods and fortified beverages, as the main source of exposure linked to the adverse health effects of concern. It cautions that if the revised UL is later adopted through Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s P1047 review, it could have unintended consequences for the food and beverage sector, including reformulation, labelling and other compliance costs.
The ABCL calls for any regulatory response to be proportionate to the sources of excess intake and the groups most at risk. It also asks that the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s strengthened supplement labelling requirements be taken into account.
The submission also recommends that communication of any revised UL clearly separates supplement intake from dietary sources, and that it avoids discouraging vitamin B6 intake from foods and beverages. This matters because 46.7 per cent of Australians aged two years and over now have dietary intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement, up from 28.9 per cent in 2011–12.