Workers at a Sussex vitamins firm could lose their jobs if a European directive on food supplements becomes law.

Owners of G&G Food in East Grinstead have called on Euro MPs to block the European Directive on Food Supplement which they fear would take vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies off the shelves.

Dr Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for the South-East, met John Prigent of G&G Food, one of the biggest suppliers of supplements in the UK, to hear how the firm could be affected.

Mr Prigent said: "We explained the problems which would be caused by the proposed directive, not least by its switch from the British tradition of what is not forbidden is permitted to a code of what is not permitted is forbidden."

He said the draft directive restricted the availability of many of the supplements people used.

It did this by posing a positive list of those which could be used and setting limits on the amount which could be taken.

The allowed amounts are still to be set for many substances and there is pressure to limit the amounts to what is in a normal diet.

Mr Prigent said: "Thisis obviously going to be a problem, since normal diets vary widely between, for instance, a fishing port in Denmark, a tomato and olive oil-rich diet in Italy and a traditional English meal of meat and vegetables.

"Consumer choice will be drastically reduced by the directive unless it is amended."

A briefing note was presented to Dr Lucas who said she had received letters from other concerned constituents.

Mr Prigent said: "If enough of us make our MEPs aware of our objections and they can gather enough support in the European Parliament, this directive can effectively be stopped in its tracks."