CODEX Archives

Update on CODEX (Summary.) Archive.

I admit this article is a little confusing, but I thought it
important enough to send out... If nothing else, to educate people
regarding the global push by big pharma, big government, etc., to
block the peoples access to alternative health resources such as
vitamins and supplements...
Be Well,
Misty L. Trepke
http://www.searching-alternatives.com

Codex 2003 -
What Really Happened?
The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses
(Codex for short) met in Bonn this year from 3-7 November, to
progress their proposals to ban information and health-related
messages concerning vitamins and minerals and also to reduce the
maximum permitted amounts of these essential nutrients to levels at
which they would no longer be effective.

Codex has been trying for the last seven years to introduce these
banning regulations, but thanks to the combined protests of
thousands of people from the health movement behind Dr. Matthias
Rath and the Dr. Rath Health Foundation, they have been prevented
from carrying out their unethical plans.

Codex has been infiltrated by pharma-cartel interests, whose
influence extends beyond the official delegations and into some of
the so-called natural health freedom organisations who have observer
status at the Codex meetings. Some of these organisations were
already celebrating victory before the Codex meeting ended, based
upon flawed analysis of the proceedings. Such claims subsequently
proved to be unrealistic, indicating the level of influence that the
pharma interests wield within these organisations.

The Dr. Rath Health Foundation remains one of the few truly
independent, natural health promoting organisations that actively
participate in public health policy debates worldwide and is thus
able to provide clear, objective and accurate analysis of the events
at the 2003 Codex meeting.
So what really happened?
The "Proposed Draft Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food
Supplements" were advanced to Step 5 of an 8-step process at the
2003 session, after a high level of agreement amongst the
delegations on most of the sections. Draft proposals can be adopted
as full Guidelines at step 6 in this process, if there is unanimous
agreement within the Codex committee. Far from declaring victory
therefore, continued vigilance and action is necessary. The fight
goes on.

The most significant aspects of the current Codex proposals are as
follows:

The South African delegation's bold attempt to introduce positive
support for natural health therapies into the Codex machinery was
thwarted by the committee. South Africa proposed that Codex should
highlight the role vitamins and minerals play in the prevention of
chronic diseases, as laid out in the WHO's report "Diet, Nutrition
and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases" This expert consultation
document clearly confirms that nutritional intervention can reduce
the incidence of diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure and
many other chronic diseases that have reached epidemic proportions
worlwide.
Ignoring the recommendations of its own parent body (the WHO) the
Codex committee chose to ignore the South African proposals.
The South African delegation has, however, been asked to coordinate
a working group that will develop proposals for new and revised
nutrient reference values (figures for average daily intake
requirements amongst normal populations - NRV's for short) that may
form part of the establishment of the upper safe levels limits (see
below). The inclusion of NRV's in this process will be debated again
at the next Codex meeting in 2004.
Comment : We should all applaud the excellent work done by South
Africa and continue to give their delegation and the other
delegations supporting their position, all the help and support they
need to ensure that the level of scientific knowledge and evidence
that goes into the setting of NRV's truly reflects the reality that
vitamins, minerals and other natural substances can prevent common
diseases, as set out in Dr. Rath's declaration at the World Summit
in 2002 entitled, "Health For All by the Year 2020T"

The Codex committee spent so long arguing about other matters on
their agenda that they ran out time to consider the proposals on
health claims. This debate has therefore been postponed until next
year.
Comment : The extra time that this development offers the health
freedom movement to continue the fight against Codex should not be
wasted.

The idea that recommended daily allowances (RDA's) should form the
upper limits for vitamin and mineral dosage levels has finally been
rejected by the Codex committee.
Comment : A positive move for natural health. RDA's represent merely
the minimum daily intake level for vitamins and minerals for the
avoidance of deficiency disease problems and the idea that RDA's
should form the upper limits for these nutrients has always been
ridiculous.

The Codex committee decided that their vitamin and mineral
Guidelines will apply in jurisdictions that regulate these
supplements as foods, whilst removing the option for national
authorities to make a regulatory choice between food and drug law
for regulation of these supplements.
Comment : This may indicate that national authorities that currently
regulate these products as drugs will continue to be able to do so.
Countries will not however be able to change regulatory approaches
for supplements once these Guidelines are enacted. Yet another good
reason to continue the battle to protect free access to essential
vitamins and minerals worldwide.

The sources of vitamin and minerals to be used in supplementary
products should be safe and bio available forms as laid down by
FAO/WHO standards or other recognized international or national
standards.
Comment : The possibility that this provision may lead to arbitrary
restrictions on the available sources, as was the case with the
provisions of the EU's Food Supplements Directive, cannot be
discounted.

The influence of the EU within Codex has grown measurably this year
and their delegation is trying forcefully to persuade Codex to adopt
the framework for vitamin and mineral regulation, already laid down
in Europe, on a worldwide basis.
Comment : The EU will become a full member of Codex in 2004, which
makes support for and implementation of the Dr. Rath Health
Foundation EU-Referendum goals more important than ever. The EU will
act on behalf of 25 countries in next year's Codex meeting.

The maximum daily dosage level for vitamins and minerals is to be
set by reference to "upper safe levels" established by scientific
risk assessment.
Comment : This was the section upon which most of the `victory for
health freedom' claims were based. At first sight, the abandonment
of reference to RDA levels in setting upper limits for vitamins and
minerals seems to be a victory. In reality, the proposed terms upon
which upper safe limits may be set are open to wide interpretation
and manipulation and could still result in arbitrarily low upper
limits that are not much better than RDA levels.

This approach is being pioneered by the Australian delegation who
will probably be asked to chair the committee responsible for
setting upper safe limits, if this section is agreed. It is
therefore important to know that Australia already regulates vitamin
and mineral supplements as drugs and not as foods.
There is no scientific justification for any upper limits to be set
for vitamin and mineral intake, but if we do have to have them, let
them be based on true science and real observed effects. The role of
South Africa (see earlier comments) will be pivotal here.

Conclusions : The influence of the health freedom movement and the
work of the South African delegation to Codex have brought about a
number of victories for natural health freedom this year. At the
same time, whilst some completely absurd ideas like using RDA levels
as upper limits have finally been removed, this year's Codex meeting
has accelerated the move toward overall proposals that may have a
very damaging effect on the availability of essential vitamins and
minerals worldwide in the future.

It is therefore of paramount importance that all those interested in
preventing free access to these vital substances from being
compromised remain vigilant and engaged in the fight. The Dr. Rath
Health Foundation is leading the continued resistance to Codex plans
and calls for a united effort in pursuing the goal of vitamin
freedom for all.

We have won some skirmishes but the main battle goes on!