Guest guest Posted January 21, 2003 Report Share Posted January 21, 2003 The tell us to take everything with a pinch of salt - perhaps we need the who packet to believe this one..... Marianne > > Daily News from Healthypages > 21 January 2003 > _______________________________ > > Minister fights back over herbal medicines > > Health Minister Lord Philip Hunt has denied that proposals for increased > regulation of the European herbal medicine market will restrict consumer > choice. > > The European Commission is negotiating a European directive on traditional > herbal medicine products. The legislation aims to standardise regulation > across Europe. > > However, organisations such as the Alliance for Natural Health and the > Health Food Manufacturers’ Association, which represent the herbal medicine > market, have serious concerns about the proposed ruling. > > They say the legislation would have a negative effect on consumer health > and complementary medicine by restricting the range of products available. > > But speaking before a parliamentary debate on the subject, Lord Hunt said > he “firmly denied†reports that the herbal health industry would suffer. > > He said there was wide agreement that existing regulations for unlicensed > herbal remedies were “unsatisfactory†and that the directive would protect > the public by stopping the sale of second-rate products. > > Existing rules do not set quality or safety standards, require consumer > information about safe use of products or allow companies to tell the > consumer what the product is for, he said. > > “Whilst there are many responsible producers out there, we have also come > across repeated examples in UK and elsewhere, of unsafe or poor quality > unlicensed products, which contain illegal ingredients, the wrong herb and > which also come with poor labelling,†Lord Hunt said. > > “Quality and safety are basic standards and there should be no quarrel with > the argument that what is stocked on our shelves should, at the very least, > be able to pass those benchmarks.†> > He added that the government was working closely with the herbal industry > and understood the importance of keeping the regulatory impact of the > directive to a minimum. > > “We want to protect public health, enhance the status of herbal medicine > and maintain wide consumer choice,†he said. > > © HMG Worldwide 2002 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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