Currently only three vitamins - vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene - are allowed to be added to general purpose beverages like juices and fruit drinks in Australia.
Until now, Australian beverage makers wishing to market products containing other vitamins needed to use the Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods (FSSF) Standard, which is designed to regulate special-purpose foods.
Alternatively these products could be made in New Zealand under the New Zealand Dietary Supplements Regulations 1985 (NZDSR) and sold in Australia through the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement.
But the food authority looking to create a single set of food laws for Australia and New Zealand have now proposed to allow vitamin-enriched drinks under certain provisos.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has proposed that the total sugar content of the drinks be restricted to 7.5 g/100 ml and that amounts of vitamins and minerals be restricted to allow 'source' (10% Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI)) and/or 'good source' (25% RDI) claims.
The full daily amount of vitamin C can be offered however.
The trade association for drink makers, the Australian Beverages Council Limited, first applied for permission to add a wide range of vitamins and minerals to flavoured, water-based beverages in June 2002.
Analysts predict Australia's fruit juice industry will explode over the next few years, led by the strong emergence of juice bars. Juice bars are expected to double their current $150 million (€90.5 million) turnover in 2005, taking their share of Australia's $1 billion juice industry to 30 per cent.
However the country is also said to be clamping down on health claims in this sector, making it more important for legislation that allows for addition of health ingredients.
FSANZ is seeking comment from interested parties on the proposed amendment by 6 July 2005.