Overdose risks and plant accidents that shook supply
What this tab covers How it is regulated and what could disrupt supply: hazard classification, rules in the EU, US and India, anti-dumping duties and other trade measures, and supply-risk notes.
Hazards
Classification
UN number
Key risks
mostly not classified; vitamin A acetate reproductive toxicity category 1B and D3 acute toxicity in concentrated form
concentrated D3 may ship as UN2811 (toxic solid, indicative)
Overdose toxicity of concentrated A and D3; process hazards at citral and isophytol plants, as the 2017 and 2024 BASF incidents showed.
Main rules
Where
Rule
Effect
EU
Feed additives Regulation 1831/2003 with maximum levels; food supplements Directive 2002/46
Sets permitted forms and doses.
US
FDA dietary supplement rules (DSHEA); AAFCO feed definitions
Market access for human and feed uses.
China
Export controls not applied; production licences
Chinese capacity can expand quickly.
India
Rule
Effect
FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations 2018
Standards for fortified rice, wheat flour, oil, milk and salt, creating demand for vitamin premixes
Drugs and Cosmetics Act for pharma vitamins; PLI scheme for bulk drugs (indicative)
Incentives to make key starting materials domestically
Trade measures
No vitamin anti-dumping duties found in sources reached; Faxian Gongchang mentions US and EU tariff policy only in general terms
Supply risk
Very high concentration: BASF held about 66% of citral and a large share of vitamin A capacity (stated as 26.7%, unverified); China holds over 85% of vitamin C. India's bulk-drug policy names dependence on China for vitamins among its concerns (indicative).