EU Authorizes Magnesium L-Threonate as a New Source of Magnesium for Food Supplements

"The European Commission has officially added magnesium L-threonate to the list of permitted mineral sources for use in food supplements, marking a significant regulatory update to Directive 2002/46/EC. The amendment, adopted on 5 November 2025, follows the favourable scientific assessment issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in January 2024.

The new measure, adopted through a Commission Regulation, amends Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC, which sets out authorised vitamin and mineral substances and their acceptable forms. With this update, magnesium L-threonate is now fully recognised across the European Union as a valid and bioavailable magnesium source for use in supplements.

In 2024, EFSA evaluated magnesium L-threonate both as a novel food under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 and as a bioavailable mineral source under the Food Supplements Directive. In its scientific opinion of 30 January 2024, EFSA concluded that:

Magnesium L-threonate is safe under the proposed conditions of use

Magnesium from this source is bioavailable

The ingredient presents no safety concerns when used as intended in food supplements

Based on these conclusions, magnesium L-threonate was first authorised as a novel food under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2694, subject to specific use conditions. The Commission has now confirmed that EFSA’s scientific findings provide sufficient grounds to incorporate the ingredient into the list of permitted mineral sources, enabling harmonised use across all EU Member States.

While the new EU regulation does not specify a maximum daily dose, manufacturers must adhere to EFSA’s safety assessment, which establishes the following key limit:

Maximum safe intake: 3,000 mg/day of magnesium L-threonate

(Equivalent to approximately 250 mg of elemental magnesium per day)
Applicable to adults, excluding pregnant and lactating women.

This 250 mg magnesium threshold corresponds to the EU tolerable upper intake level (UL) for supplemental magnesium from readily dissociable sources."