Proposed vitamin supplement limits scientifically flawed

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed vitamin supplement limits scientifically flawed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(NaturalNews) The European Food Safety

Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission (EC) have been working on

establishing dosage limits on vitamins and supplements within the European

Union (EU) using flawed toxicology risk assessment methods to make such

determinations. A recent paper published in the journal Toxicology exposes the approach as

" fatally flawed, " citing the junk science being used to try to

limit access to effective doses of nutritional supplements.

 

Robert Verkerk PhD, lead author of the article and scientific and executive

director of the Alliance

for Natural Health (ANH) International, has been working for years to explain

to various European and international authorities the illogic of using

toxicologic risk analysis to assess proper nutrient dosages. His paper in Toxicology is his most extensive and

thorough critique thus far.

 

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, created jointly by the World Health

Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the

United Nations back in 1963 to establish a world food code, established its

guidelines for vitamin and mineral supplements back in 2005. Though not

technically enforceable, especially in nations like the U.S. where such

provisions would be wholly unconstitutional, the guidelines suggest

establishing upper safe limits on vitamin and mineral supplements using the

same toxicologic risk assessment methods used on dangerous toxins like

mercury and lead.

 

In his paper, Verkerk lambasts the slightly modified version of the EU's

method of assessing nutrients that is based on the Codex recommendations.

According to his analysis, the vitamin and mineral limits currently being

proposed are so low that one would exceed them by eating a simple junk food

meal.

 

Two health trade associations in the U.K. recently conducted an analysis of

their own that found that implementation of the limits in their country would

end up shutting down over 700 independent retail stores, causing a loss in

sales of over 100 million British pounds and costing at least 4,000 jobs. The

Health Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Health

Stores presented these findings to the UK Parliament back in December.

 

The Irish Association of Health Stores and ANH International both filed

complaints with the European Parliament's Petitions Committee for redress in

the matter. All petitions put forward thus far against the proposed limits,

including scientific information exposing the methodology as unsound, have

been ignored by both the EFSA and EC.

 

ANH International and other concerned groups from across Europe

are proposing that the EFSA and EC stop the implementation of any vitamin and

mineral supplement limits.

 

Sources for this story include:

 

http://www.anhcampaign.org/news/pro...

 

http://www.ahha.org/CodexGuidelines.htm

 

http://www.codexalimentarius.net/we...