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X To CodexYour Right To Vitamin And Mineral Supplements Threatened

 

by Elyse van Breeman

This is not a time to be silent. Your health is at stake. Your future is at stake. Your freedom is at stake. As of July 2005, your right to purchase vitamin and mineral supplements may be severely constrained.It’s called CODEX ALIMENTARIUS and it’s the World Health Organization’s Food Code. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international body establishing global trade standards for foods that is sponsored jointly by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It is setting supplement standards for all countries that are part of the World Trade Organization (WTO), standards that will be enforced by the WTO and will override United States law.How could this happen? The US went to bed with the WTO when the WTO treaty was signed in 1994, in essence agreeing to this take over. Violations of CODEX will be punishable by WTO trade sanctions.The FDA’s involved in this too. The United States Federal Register, October 11, FDA Policy on Standards, states “where a relevant international standard exists, or completion is imminent, it will generally be used in preference to a domestic standard...”CODEX has the apparency of being mere “guidelines.” But agreements between CODEX and the World Trade Organization allow WTO to use the guidelines as standards to settle trade disputes. The WTO can enforce trade sanctions on the “losing country” until they change their national laws to fit with Codex “international trade standards.”The section of the guidelines that will impact us the most is one that will set “upper safe levels of vitamins and minerals established by scientific risk assessment based on generally accepted scientific data.” There are no generally accepted scientific risk assessments available so the limits are “up for grabs.” Even bringing up the subject of “risk” concerning vitamins is questionable, when one considers that in the U.S. an average of 290 patients per day die from adverse drug reactions--FDA approved “properly” administered drugs. As usual, the FDA is aiming at the wrong target.Letting “experts” decide on maximum dosage levels means they will be low--very low. The European Scientific Committee on Food has suggested it be 25 mg. Health programs such as one by researcher Linus Pauling recommend extremely high doses of Vitamin C; such programs become impossible. The Detoxification Program being used in New York to help firefighters exposed to asbestos and other toxic fumes from the 9-11 disaster will be threatened, as it uses high doses of vitamins and mineral supplements as part of its exercise and sauna sweat-out program. Narconon International has a similar program to remove drug residues stored in fatty tissues, freeing the person from the continual effects of drugs and narcotics. Limits on vitamin and mineral doses will hinder chiropractors and other natural health professionals who recommend supplement programs.Also on the horizon is increased cost of supplements. In Norway and Germany, where CODEX regulations now apply, zinc tablets rose from $4.00 per bottle to $52.00. Echinacea, a natural herb with anti-biotic properties, rose from $14 to $153. Both now must be prescribed. As well, Vitamin C above 200 mg, niacin above 32 mg. And B6 above 4 mg. can only be obtained by prescription.CODEX rules while approving most vitamins are banning amino acids, essential fatty acids (omegas 3, 6, 9) and supplements such as DHEA, CoQ10, MSM and beta-carotene. CODEX, in its meetings, is taking cues from the already existing European Union Food Supplements Directive. The EU Directive has created a “positive list” that includes 28 vitamins and minerals they deem safe. However, 200 vitamins and minerals did not make the “positive list.” With EU, you are guilty until proven innocent; in other words a company must prove their supplement is safe before it can be on the list--a very costly proposition.On the home front, in February of 2005, 52,000 United States consumers demanded through letters and petitions that the FDA continue to guarantee access to dietary supplements. Earlier, between 1992 and 1994, 2.5 million consumers contacted Congress, causing Congress to pass The Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA).In February, DSHEA supporters expressed concern about new guidelines that would require excessive and unnecessary testing, restricting access to quality supplements. Bill 722, not yet passed, has some scary clauses: “If a clinical evaluation by the Secretary of one or more serious adverse events indicates that a dietary supplement or a dietary ingredient contained in a dietary supplement appears (editorial underline)to present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness, the Secretary may require the manufacturers of the dietary supplement, or of a dietary ingredient contained in a dietary supplement, to submit to the Secretary data demonstrating that the dietary supplement containing the dietary ingredient is safe.” Under 722 all stimulants, which include substances that increase metabolism must be proven safe. Ditto for any product that contains a substance that is chemically or pharmacologically related to testosterone. Equally troublesome and with similar requirements is H.R. 3377. Both threaten freedom to obtain supplements.The EU Food Supplements Directive will take effect on August 1 in England, where 43% of the population take vitamins, minerals and other food supplements. Opponents of the legislation say around 300 nutrients (minerals or mineral/vitamin compounds) will be banned. This will cause about 5,000 products to be wiped off the shelves, and encourage a dramatic increase in prescriptions and visits to doctors. The EU Directive will have dire consequences for the UK’s 1,000 health food stores.US citizens need to take a stand to protect their vitamin and mineral access rights. Here is what you can do:1) Be informed. Go to http:\\www.ahha.org, http:\\www.jahf.com, http:\\www.alliance-natural-health.org and http://www.citizens.org.2) Oppose bills S.722 and H.R. 3377 which support CODEX restrictions with US laws, and change the DSHEA law. Go to http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/11/07/new_us_bill_on_supplement_ingredients_proposed.htm for data on HR 3377; and ww.nnfa.org/services/government/pdf/s722.pdf for data on S.722.3) Support H.R. 1146 which would restore U.S. sovereignty and our constitutional rights over CODEX.4) Write the President, Senators and Congressmen. You can find their addresses at http:\\www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/.5) Contact health food stores, vendors, especially multi level companies that market supplements and get them to write their congressmen.

 

Elyse van Breeman

 

 

All the best,

 

Doc

 

Ian "Doc" Shillington N.D.727-447-5282Doc