On August 1, 2005 , the European Union is scheduled to ban approximately 300 supplement ingredients as part of the Food Supplements Directive. Sabinsa submitted an extensive dossier containing research findings and safety data and was granted exemption from this directive for Selenium SeLECT®. The remaining 23 member states of the European Union will grant derogation or accept the result of derogation by the United Kingdom and Denmark .
"We are pleased to be able to continue providing manufacturers in the European Union with our high-quality, pure and safe Selenium SeLECT®, and in turn allow consumers to continue to reap the numerous health benefits associated with Selenium SeLECT® supplementation," stated Dr. Vladimir Badmaev, vice president of scientific and medical affairs, Sabinsa. "We would like to thank our European suppliers Gee Lawson Nutritional in the UK and PharmaNord in Denmark for helping us gain this status in their respective countries."
The continued availability of Selenium SeLECT® is welcome news to finished dosage form manufacturers in the EU. Recent clinical research revealed that Selenium SeLECT® is more bioavailable than inorganic forms of selenium. These findings were highlighted in a VendorWorks Presentation entitled 'Bioavailability of Selenium a Key Factor in its Nutritional and Therapeutic Use' at the SupplySide East International Tradeshow and Conference in Baltimore , MD , on May 6th. Dr. Vladimir Badmaev, vice president of scientific & medical affairs at Sabinsa Corporation, along with Dr. Richard A. Passwater, a renowned selenium expert, presented research surrounding the bioavailability of several forms of selenium, including Sabinsa's Selenium SeLECT® brand selenomethionine.