Codex

[Guest guest]

My friend, Suzanne Walter, President of the American Holistic Health

Association, has been involved with the Codex process and provides excellent,

even-handed information on what is going on. Matt Bauer

 

Update from the American Holistic Health Association with items

of interest to those actively enhancing their health and well-being.

Another free service from AHHA.

 

 

FEATURED NEWS ITEM

After more than a decade in development, an international trade

regulation for vitamin and mineral supplements was given final approval

on July 4, 2005. Finalized by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC),

the most controversial section of the " Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and

Mineral Food Supplements " dictates the establishment of upper limits

for the amount of a nutrient that will be allowed in a supplement

product. While business interests are celebrating a regulation that

these upper limits will be based on science, consumer health advocacy

groups are fearful that it's defective science that will be used,

resulting in inappropriately low ceilings. Only time will tell who will

establish these limits and what they will be. To better understand the

motivation of other countries to work toward restrictive regulations,

read " Looks like the EU outmaneuvered the U.S. " at

http://ahha.org/WalterEUagenda05.htm . Comments from a number of

individuals attending the CAC session have been posted at

http://ahha.org/codexrecent.htm .

 

 

DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS UPDATE

As mentioned above, the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food

Supplements have become official. Those interested in this topic can

track the impact of these Guidelines in AHHA's special site

http://codexinfo.org. You can sign up to be kept up to date as new

materials are added to codexinfo.org by e-mailing your full name and

e-mail address to codex.

 

TRADE AGREEMENTS UPDATE

The joint resolution for the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health

Organization (WTO) has failed, but it had more support than five years

ago.

 

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) treaty ratification

passed the U.S. Senate on June 30. It is expected to be voted on in the

House on July 11, when members return from their holiday break. With

the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements now

officially available to be enforced by the WTO, health freedom advocacy

groups point out that some terms in CAFTA would strengthen the

movement to force the U.S. to weaken DSHEA (which currently provides

U.S. residents free access to dietary supplements.)