FDA Announces Plan to Eliminate Vitamin Companies

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FDA Announces Plan to Eliminate Vitamin Companies

_http://www.naturalnews.com/022499.html_

(http://www.naturalnews.com/022499.html)

 

NaturalNews) The FDA, emboldened by its transformation into a drug company,

has embarked upon an anti-American plan of interfering with business and

intentionally eliminating various dietary supplement companies from the market.

The FDA announcement came on Friday, June 22, 2007 under the guise of a final

rule for dietary supplement good manufacturing practices (CGMPs). Within this

800 page rule the FDA states, “We find that this final rule will have a

significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities...

Establishments with above average costs, and even establishments with average

costs,

could be hard pressed to continue to operate. Some of these may decide it is

too costly and either change product lines or go out of business... 140 very

small [less than 20 employees] and 32 small dietary supplement manufacturers

[less than 500 employees] will be at risk of going out of business... costs

per establishment are proportionally higher for very small than for large

establishments... The regulatory costs of this final rule will also discourage

new small businesses from entering the industry.â€

(_http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Elrd/fr07625a.html_

(http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr07625a.html) )

 

This FDA rule will directly raise the price of dietary supplements for all

consumers. The FDA acknowledges this and says “We expect that the majority of

these costs will be borne by consumers of dietary supplements, who will

likely respond to the increase in prices by reducing consumption.†Thus, the

FDA

is intentionally seeking to shrink the size of the dietary supplement industry

and reduce the influence of safe and effective options to improve the

dreadful trend in the health of Americans. The goal is to leave toxic drugs as

the

primary health option.

 

Independent analysis of this FDA rule has placed cost of compliance at 10

fold what the FDA estimates with as many as 50% of small companies unable to

comply.

 

The gutless cowards of Congress, a majority of whom are on the Big Pharma

payroll or will be on it once they leave Congress, have delegated their

lawmaking powers granted by the U.S. Constitution to a bunch of Big

Pharma-friendly

unelected bureaucrats at the FDA, who are in turn using this power to

undermine free commerce and help Big Pharma eliminate competition from the

market.

This is the behavior of a government in tyranny, inviting a revolution by the

people. It is noteworthy that fascist governments of the past have eliminated

health freedom and health options as a necessary condition to enslave and

brainwash a population

(_http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=2108 & print_view=tr\

ue_

(http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=2108 & print_view=tru\

e) ) . Congress has delegated its responsibility

to the people to such an extent that over half the laws in this country are

now concocted by unelected bureaucrats with vested interests.

 

A Vehicle for Unprecedented Harassment

 

Any company that can afford to comply with the costs and regulations of this

new FDA rule can be targeted and eliminated at will by the FDA. In essence,

the FDA is seeking to make the dietary supplement industry document every

phase of production, including expensive testing at multiple points in the

production process. Massive record keeping will be required, including all

customer complaints and returns for any reason! This is utterly draconian and

an

unnecessary interference and burden to free commerce. It is completely

Anti-American.

 

No doubt, the FDA will impose user fees as an additional charge so that FDA

agents will have the funding required to enforce the regulations. Under the

new rule any flaw in bookkeeping can result in a company’s products being

declared adulterated, allowing the FDA to remove them from the market even

though

nothing is wrong with them! A company can then be forced out of business

because they won’t be able to sell any products to raise the money to comply.

The rules are so complex and vague that the FDA can selectively target any

company it chooses, even those attempting to comply in good faith.

 

The FDA is doing this under the pretense of improved consumer safety.

Consumer safety could readily be guaranteed by simply having all companies test

their final products for purity and potency. Instead of this simple approach

the

FDA has gone to the extreme of burdening the dietary supplement industry

with regulations in excess of the drug industry. Supplements are foods, not

drugs. The food industry couldn’t begin to comply with these FDA rules, even

though food contamination is far more dangerous to health than dietary

supplements.

 

The FDA intends to phase this rule in over the next three years. This means

that within five years half the industry and many of the health options

individuals rely on will either be gone or significantly more expensive.

 

Even more chilling is that forces within the dietary supplement industry

itself are in no small part responsible for this FDA final rule.

 

Trade Groups and their Big Companies Turn on America

 

The Natural Products Association (formerly the National Nutritional Food

Association – NNFA) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) have been

instrumental in forcing these drug-like rules on dietary supplements. These

globalist organizations are selling out America, destroying American jobs,

undermining the U.S. Constitution, and working in conjunction with

pharmaceutical

companies to usher in Codex and the New World Order. Consumers of dietary

supplements should learn who these companies are before buying their products

and helping to inadvertently fund the destruction of health freedom in this

country.

 

When DSHEA was passed in 1994 part of that law required the FDA to establish

current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs) for the dietary supplement

industry. During a period of FDA outreach to the industry the FDA was surprised

to learn that CRN and NPA were in favor of drug-like CGMPs for the dietary

supplement industry. These trade groups, working closely with Senators Orin

Hatch (R-UT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), have intentionally taken the supplement

industry down a slippery slope. It is noteworthy that Hatch takes in more money

from Big Pharma than he does from dietary supplement companies. Not only is

Hatch a big supporter of the Medicare Part D drug rip off of Americans he has

saved Big Pharma billions by protecting them from generic competition, as he is

currently attempting to do with his legislation for new biologic drugs.

Hatch also has a son working for NPA and another son that lobbies for NPA and

the

dietary supplement industry. When Hatch leaves the Senate he will be first

in line for a six or seven figure Big Pharma salary.

 

The CRN has been taken over by multinational drug and food companies. Key

players are the nutritional divisions of Bayer, BASF, Cargill, Monsanto, Wyeth,

and Archer Daniels Midland (_http://www.crnusa.org/who_omc.html_

(http://www.crnusa.org/who_omc.html) ). Nutrition companies that participate are

in most

cases owned by pharmaceutical companies, heavily invested in pharmaceutical

companies, or jockeying for position in the international market as part of the

New World Order. Key names include Mannatech, Shacklee, Herbalife, GNLD

International, The Vitamin Shoppe, and GNC. These companies are glad to

eliminate

competition from small companies and start up ventures.

 

Carrying on the general theme of Big Pharma ownership and a globalist agenda

are the companies that control the NPA. One need only look at the new NPA

China board to understand who these key players are

(_http://www.naturalproductsassoc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_China_

(http://www.naturalproductsassoc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_China) ) .

Jarrow Formulas, Now Foods, GNC,

and Herbalife top the list. At the end of 2006 Jarrow and Now helped lead

the charge with Senators Hatch and Harkin to burden the dietary supplement

industry with bizarre Adverse Event Reporting legislation (AER) which insisted

that dietary supplement companies keep extensive records on any type of

consumer complaint. Aspects of this AER law are now implemented in the FDA

final

rule on CGMPs. Of course, NPA was quick to offer expensive training to its

members to indoctrinate them into how to comply with the rules that NPA,

working

on behalf of the FDA, just forced on its own members. Are their member

companies really this stupid? Or are they all working together? I would

recommend

that any NPA member that believes itself to be a true American company that

values our constitution immediately withdraw from NPA membership – consumers

will be looking to see who you are

(_http://www.naturalproductsassoc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_Board_

(http://www.naturalproductsassoc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_Board) ) .

 

The picture is now crystal clear for any person who cares to look. Numerous

dietary supplement companies are anti-American and actively selling out our

country and our constitution, working hand-in-glove with the FDA and Big

Pharma. The majority of such companies can be found as members of CRN and NPA.

It

will be up to the American consumer to save the dietary industry from itself

and preserve their own access to safe and effective natural health remedies.

This is a relatively simple task. Quit buying products from or quit being a

distributor in these fascist organizations. Support the small companies that

are the backbone of America, otherwise they will soon be extinct.

 

Update on S.1082 Threat to Dietary Supplements

 

Many of you have been following the extreme threat to dietary supplements

posed by S.1082 (_http://www.wellnessresources.com/health_freedom.php_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/health_freedom.php) ) . Similar legislation

has now

cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is headed for the floor of

the House in the next week or two. The House version of this bill now

contains the “food and food ingredients†language that the FDA can use to

apply

drug-related risk/benefit analysis to dietary supplements and have them removed

from the market at their whim.

 

It is noteworthy that both CRN and NPA have posted on their websites

information stating that S.1082 is not a threat to dietary supplements. Both

organizations are flat out wrong. They cite a colloquy by Hatch, Harkin,

Kennedy,

and Enzi as their evidence. This colloquy was a direct result of our grassroots

campaign to alert the American consumer to this major threat. In no way does

this colloquy protect dietary supplements. Until the language in the bill is

changed the threat exists and is very real. CRN and NPA also tell their

members that the Codex initiative to scare consumers into thinking that dietary

supplements are unsafe above minuscule amounts and need to be regulated by

international laws is also no big deal. It is clear that CRN and NPA, again

working hand-in-glove with the FDA, are a major part of the problem and are

actively engaged in forwarding the globalist agenda of the New World Order.

While

pretending to represent the dietary supplement industry these organizations

are in fact shooting the industry in the back and undermining health options

for Americans.

 

The FDA is Out of Control

 

The FDA is a tyrannical organization that is now emboldened and completely

out of control. It is not surprising that the FDA is seeking to eliminate

competition to Big Pharma, they have been doing that for much of the past

century. What is surprising is that they are openly stating in their final rule

a

plan that directly eliminates small businesses from existence. This fascist

organization believes itself to be above the rule of law and is actively

working

against America and the rights of Americans

(_http://www.emord.com/events/speeches/fda_violation.htm_

(http://www.emord.com/events/speeches/fda_violation.htm) ) . It must be stopped.

 

 

 

About the author

Byron J. Richards, Founder/Director of Wellness Resources (

_www.wellnessresources.com_ (http://www.wellnessresources.com/) ), is a

Board-Certified

Clinical Nutritionist, a charter professional member of the International and

American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN) since 1991. He is a

nationally-renowned health expert, radio personality, and educator. He is the

creator and pioneer of The Leptin Diet® and has been a featured expert

consultant

on Fox News Live, CBS Infinity television (national syndication), and The

Wall Street Journal. Richards has appeared on hundreds of radio programs

throughout the country. He is the author of Mastering Leptin (

_www.wellnessresources.com/products/mastering_leptin.php_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/products/mastering_leptin.php) ), The Leptin

Diet

(_www.wellnessresources.com/Books/leptin_diet.php_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/Books/leptin_diet.php) ),

and Fight for Your Health: Exposing the FDA's Betrayal of America (

_www.wellnessresources.com/Books/fight_for_your_health.php_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/Books/fight_for_your_health.php) ).

Richards encourages individuals to take charge of their health, stand up for

their health rights, and not blindly succumb to propaganda from the

vested-interests who profit from keeping Americans sick. As founder of Wellness

Resources, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN, an independently-owned nutraceutical-quality

dietary supplement company since 1985. He has personally developed 75 effective

nutritional formulations. ( _www.wellnessresources.com_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/) )

FREE Subscription to Byron's Health Newsletter, click here(

_www.wellnessresources.com/store/newsletter.php_

(http://www.wellnessresources.com/store/newsletter.php) )

E-mail: byron