Much concern has been raised as of late regarding the recent developments of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). This article is designed to shed some light on the subject so that we can all see what is truly at stake.
At the 28th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, held in Rome, Italy between the 4th and the 9th of July, 2005; Codex reported their findings and resolutions regarding Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses. In this Codex, the commission has laid the groundwork for the implementation of what they call "Step 8". This is the final in a series of steps, in which the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) would gain full control over your access to vitamin and mineral supplements.
sound scary?
Well it is. And while the FDA is doing a lot of presswork to try and minimize people's concerns about the application of this Codex to U.S. law; their assuaging is far from convincing.
First of all, the United States is represented in the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and members from the United States have actively participated in the creation of this Codex targeting vitamin and mineral supplements. So, the argument that the U.S. is not involved in this Codex, and that its passage wouldn't affect Americans is likely false. Why would the United States actively participate in the creation of a Codex that it wouldn't hold itself to?
Secondly, the FDA seems to be under the impression that the Codex does not intend to set 'upper limits' of vitamins and mineral supplements when the actual body of the Codex says differently. The Codex says, quite clearly, that they intend to limit vitamin and mineral supplements to "small unit quantities, to reflect the difference with ordinary foods", and that the mazimum intake levels of these supplements is to be established by the FAO and the WHO.
Thirdly, it is very disturbing that they want to pass legislation that does not even attempt to specify what these maximums are, or how they will be established. It is suggested that the FAO and WHO will consult various 'experts' to 'scientifically determine' the maximum safe levels of these vitamins and minerals; but the terminology is vague enough to allow for any arbitrary value to be set by some supposed 'expert'.
new precedent?
Regardless of the language, the very presence of this kind of legislation is very troubling. In my eyes, it is just another back-door attempt by the powerful pharmaceutical czars to undermine the freedom of preventative medicine as supported by the DSHEA Act. Americans stand for freedom, and freedom of choice is one of the most precious. Don't let some hand-picked 'expert' take your choices away from you! Education is the answer! If you are educated about supplements and supplementation, you can make well-informed decisions for yourself! The Codex does nothing but sacrifice accuracy for simplicity. We are all different, and may require different ammounts of different nutrients. Don't let the Codex fool you!
Even if (or more likely, when) the Codex passes, the United States does not have to adopt its standards. However, it is VERY LIKELY that they will be adopted unless we stand up and make our voices heard! The number of people in the U.S. who use supplements to help maintain optimal health is over 120 million and growing. If we let congress know that we will not stand for the Codex, and opt to keep the standards of the DSHEA act, then we will be ok.
react!
To this end, please visit the Citizens for Health website at www.healthactioncenter.org to sign a petition and send it to electronically to your representatives in congress; or click here to go straight to the petition page. You can make the difference!
In the following pages, you will find the actual text of the Codex that is pertinent to our situation, along with some comment on their propositions and definitions. Then you will find the FDA's FAQ response to the overwhelming concern displayed regarding this Codex. While you are reading this remember:
Education is the key, and as more people are able to make informed decisions, health incidents decrease
Since Vitamin E has been exonerated from the ridiculous attack (Vitamin E and Heart health), no vitamin or mineral has been connected to the death of an individual
Pharmaceutical companies can only make money if they are selling drugs, and they can only sell drugs to those who are sick. So if there are no sick people, then their business goes bankrupt. Pharmaceutical czars don't care about preventing disease, only curing it (or covering it up with drugs)!
This is the same FDA that approved VIOXX, Celebrex, and countless other drugs that kill people on a daily basis. One source claimed that the ammount of people that die from prescription drug side effects ammounts to the equivalent of a 9-11 attack every month!
You can make a difference just by making your voice heard! Do not underestimate the power of the people with congress. One-hundred thousand dollars may seem like it buys a voice, but it's not as loud as 100,000 people who truly care about the issue at hand!
