Australia proposes cutting safe daily vitamin B6 limit by 72 percent

A working group of the National Health and Medical Research Council has suggested that the safe upper limit for daily vitamin B6 intake be cut from 50 mg to 14 mg for adults, a 72 percent reduction, with child limits scaled by body weight. The recommendation follows rising concerns over nerve-damage cases tied to high-dose supplements and fortified drinks, which the Therapeutic Goods Administration has already begun pulling from general sale.

Experts say the new limit aligns Australia with stricter European standards and could prompt manufacturers to relabel or reformulate products. While the supplement lobby argues adverse events are rare, neurologists warn that hidden B6 in multiple items can cause sensory symptoms and, in severe cases, permanent nerve injury. The proposal is open for public comment until the end of September, after which regulators will decide on any policy or labelling changes.