Codex misinformation-Supplement Restrictions in Europe-Action for Europeans

[Guest guest]

While these Supplement restrictions will only effect Europeans in 2010. And

tells what action they can take, much of the misinformation comes from the

United States and may effect us in 2012 or 2013. And may be of interest.

arnold

_Print this page_ (http://www.anhcampaign.org/print/2612)

 

 

 

Codex misinformation creates public confusion

 

 

 

Are you confused over what impact Codex will have on food and dietary

supplements? If so, we're not surprised, given the rampant misinformation

about

Codex that abounds on the internet.

_______

If you don't know what Codex is, find out more at the

_ANH Codex campaign page_ (http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/codex)

_______

Misinformation takes people’s eyes off the real problems

There is presently a lot of information circulating on the internet about

_Codex_ (http://www.codexalimentarius.net/) —and its potential imminent

impact

on the banning of food (dietary) supplements including vitamins, minerals and

herbs—that is inaccurate.

The misinformation is feeding people’s fears and is preventing them,

especially in Europe, from using what democratic powers still remain to

influence

legal processes that will, in the short-term, have a far bigger impact on their

access to natural health products. This is particularly the case for the

nearly 500 million people living in the 27 Member States of Europe, where it is

European Directives and Regulations that present the main risk to their

continued access to beneficial natural health products.

Much of the misinformation appears to stem from the US-based Natural

Solutions Foundation (NSF), and in particular, a youtube-released video called

Nutricide featuring NSF's medical director, Dr Rima Laibow.

For two different assessments of the relevance of Codex to natural health—

which should go a long way towards helping you to separate the facts from the

myths—please refer to the two articles referenced below:

* ANH’s newly revised _Codex campaign page_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/codex) (that now also deals directly with

the issue of Codex

misinformation)

* An article, ‘_Codex and Health Freedom—Beware of the ‘Instant

Experts_

(http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/THE_FOUNDATION/Events/codex-beware.htm)

’ on the Dr Rath Foundation website

Will Codex ban food supplements from 31st December 2009?

One of the rumours that abounds suggests that Codex will ban a wide variety

of food supplements as of 31 December 2009. This is wrong. This date refers

to the end of the transition phase of the_ European Food Supplements

Directive_ (http://www.anhcampaign.orgFSD_final-OJEC-2002.pdf) which

brings in

a ban after this date of any vitamin or mineral food supplement that has yet

to be approved on the Directive's positive list (Annex II).

This means that many food supplements containing vitamins and minerals that

have not been approved as safe and bioavailable by the_ European Food Safety

Authority_ (http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EF) will indeed be banned from 1

January 2010. But it is not Codex that is causing these bans—it is the

European

Directive. The same European Directive will also likely impose restrictions on

maximum dosages on vitamins and minerals in 2010—and this is something that

the ANH, together with a number of other organisations, such as the_ Irish

Association of Health Stores_ (http://www.irishhealthstores.com/) , are

_working very hard to counter_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/news/anh-press-release-ray-of-sunlight-from-anhirish\

-efforts-in-brussels) . But again, these

restrictions on dosages are not the result of Codex, but are the effects of the

EU

Directive.

In fact, it is the mechanism by which restrictions are occurring in Europe

that are forming the basis for the_ Codex Guideline on Vitamin and Mineral

Food Supplements_

(http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/report/644/al28_41e.pdf) —which is

just one of some 300 guidelines and standards to be produced

by the inter-governmental _Codex Alimentarius Commission_

(http://www.codexalimentarius.net/) .

At present, the US-based _National Health Federation_

(http://www.thenhf.com/) is the only health freedom organisation to have

'observer status' at

Codex meetings. While the NHF has can potentially influence decisions in Codex

meetings, as a non-governmental organisation, it has no voting rights.

UK Petition on Codex at No 10 Downing Street

Another misinformed, but undoubtedly well-meaning, action is the petition to

the UK government on Codex at No 10 Downing Street, London. You can find

this petition at: _http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Vitamins/#detail_

(http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Vitamins/#detail) .

This petition indicates that Codex will cause herbal/vitamin/mineral food

supplements to become ‘prescription only’. This is not the case, as Codex

Alimentarius deals with all categories of food and has already ratified (in

2005) the text of an international guideline on vitamin and mineral food

supplements, which is expected to be finalised—complete with maximum

guideline dosages

—in around 2012 or 2013. By definition, products compliant with these

guidelines will be safeguarded as a category of food (i.e., food supplements)

and

therefore will not be categorised as medicines.

Of course the petition is only open to British citizens (yet it’s being

pushed as far afield as New Zealand) and the more urgent issue is the much more

imminent restrictions in Europe being imposed by provisions of European

Directives and Regulations that then have a major bearing on Codex.

The relationship between Codex and EU laws on natural health

In many ways, it is more correct to see Codex (with respect to its limited

application to natural health issues) as the primary mechanism that allows

restrictive European laws to be exported into Codex. From there it then forms

an international guideline for the rest of the world. It's important then to

appreciate that these guidelines cannot directly limit the availability of

products—it's only when they are then implemented into national or regional

laws that restrictions occur.

Codex member countries, of which there are over 170, are strongly encouraged

to adopt Codex guidelines and standards, not just on natural health issues

but across all other parts of the food chain, into their national or regional

laws. And to understand more about the consequences of not implementing

Codex guidelines and standards, please see both the ANH's _Codex campaign_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/codex) and its _Say No to GM campaign_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/say-no-to-gm) . Here you'll find examples

of

how the _World Trade Organization_ (http://www.wto.org/) imposes trade

sanctions, that have the capacity to cripple any country other than a super

power.

Using your democratic right effectively

For people living in Europe, this is why there is little point in only making

your concerns known to your national member of parliament (elected

representative). The laws that will impact you are emerging from Brussels, so

it is

the European Commission, along with your own government (elected

representatives and relevant government ministries) and, and then, very

importantly, your

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) that are so important to lobby.

Europeans who don’t already know who their MEP is, can find him or her at the

following link: _http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members.do_

(http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members.do) .

Get involved in the ANH campaign

We would also urge you to look at the _ANH Get Involved_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/get-involved) page.

We realise that this is a difficult and complicated issue and we are very

committed to trying to help people find their way through the maze. Please

explore our website and think about what ways you can work with us to help

ensure that our fundamental right to natural health is not just maintained

during

our lifetimes, but also for future generations.

Thank you.

The ANH Core Team.

Updated: 12 Feb 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Home_ (http://www.anhcampaign.org/front_page_news) | _Our Campaigns_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns-background) | _Contact us_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/contact) | _News_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/natural_health_news)

| _Events_ (http://www.anhcampaign.org/events) | _Get Involved_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/get-involved) | _Document Archive_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/documents) | _Companies_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/ic/about) |

_Practitioners_ (http://www.anhcampaign.org/practitioners) | _Support Base_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/support) | _Forums_

(http://www.anhcampaign.org/forums) |

_Press Centre_ (http://www.anhcampaign.org/press-centre)

 

alliance for natural health

© 2008 All rights reserved | The Atrium, Curtis Road, Dorking, Surrey RH4

1XA United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1306 646600 Fax: +44 (0)1306 646552

Web Design by _Deeson eMedia_ (http://www.deeson.co.uk/emedia) / Flash

animation by _Emblema Ltd_ (http://www.emblema.co.uk/)

 

 

 

**************Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a

recession.

(http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000002)