Safety of magnesium taurinate added for nutritional purposes as a source of magnesium in food supplements and bioavailability of magnesium from this source, based on the supporting dossier

Following a request from the European Commission to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Scientific Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) was asked to provide a scientific opinion on the safety of magnesium taurinate added for nutritional purposes as a source of magnesium in food supplements and on the bioavailability of magnesium from this source. The Panel notes that for the source under consideration no information has been provided by the petitioner on the following: • The chemical characterisation, properties and the manufacturing process. • The use levels of the product. • The bioavailability of magnesium from the source. • The toxicity of magnesium taurinate. In 2009, the Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources published an opinion on iron (II) taurate, magnesium taurate and magnesium acetyl taurate as sources of iron or magnesium added for nutritional purposes in food supplements (EFSA, 2009). It was concluded that magnesium taurate is readily soluble in water, and therefore the bioavailability of magnesium from this source is expected to be similar to that of magnesium from other dissociable sources. It was also concluded that the use of magnesium taurate as a source of magnesium at the proposed use levels, which were up to the UL of supplemental magnesium of 250 mg/day established by the SCF (SCF, 2001), is not of safety concern. The Panel concludes that if the magnesium taurate under consideration in the present statement complies with the specifications defined for the magnesium taurate sources of the previous opinion, the conclusions of that previous opinion would apply.