SUMMARYFollowing a request from the European Commission to the European Food Safety Authority, the Scientific Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food was asked to evaluate the safety and bioavailability of iron(II)-, chromium(III)-and selenium-humic acid/fulvic acid chelate and of supplemented (dotated) humifulvate.The present opinion deals only with the safety and bioavailability of particular sources of chromium iron and selenium as such, or of a series of minerals (including potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, molybdenum and selenium) present in supplemented humifulvate intended for the general population, to be used in food supplements. The safety of iron, chromium and selenium and of the other minerals present in supplemented humifulvate in terms of amounts that may be consumed is outside the remit of this Panel. No data demonstrating the bioavailability of iron, chromium, selenium or any of the other mineral from their humic acid/fulvic acid chelates were provided.The petitioner indicates that when the free metal binding capacity of humic substances is saturated or contains a high concentration of a metal, then humic substances will transfer this metal to the protein type molecules that are able to bind it. The petitioner stated that if the free metal binding capacity is high, then humic substances will form complexes with metals that are free or attached to metalloproteins.The Panel concludes that the bioavailability of iron, chromium, selenium and other minerals from the humic acid/fulvic acid chelates (HFCs) and supplemented humifulvate has not been demonstrated, and that the actual level of saturation of the HFCs and supplemented (dotated) humifulvate has also not been characterised. Thus in theory, the bioavailability of iron, chromium, selenium and other minerals from the HFC sources might be lower than that of other sources. It could also be assumed that the source may actually cause chelation of metals provided by other sources, resulting in reduced bioavailability of the metals. Therefore, the Panel concludes that the bioavailability of iron, chromium, selenium and other minerals from their humic acid/fulvic acid chelates might be limited or even absent, whereas the possibility that the source may reduce the bioavailability of the metals and nutrients from other sources in the diet cannot be excluded.The petitioner also indicated that humic acids are not easily definable compounds. Their place of origin may be more characteristic than the simple qualitative chemical analysis or any other investigation. Therefore, the Panel concludes that the specifications provided may only relate to the material described in the present Opinion originating from peat found primarily along the northern shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary.Exposure resulting from supplement use of 1 g iron(II)-humic acid/fulvic acid chelate (Fe(II)-HFC) will amount to 68 mg humic/fulvic acid and 7 mg iron(II) per day, amounting to 1.1 mg humic/fulvic acid/kg bw/day and 0.12 mg iron/kg bw/day for a 60...