Page 1 of 1

Codex...without the hype

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:56 am
by Dana Ullman, MPH
Friends,
There is a lot (!) of fear-mongering around the Codex regulations.
Below is a statement from the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA)
which is the leading non-profit organization representing the health food
industry. As you will note, they are concerned but are not "freaked out"
about Codex.
I hope this will allay some fears...though this doesn't mean that we
should be totally complacent either.

Codex Guidelines: Adopted, But No Threat to U.S. Supplement Sales...In Rome
yesterday the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted guidelines for vitamin
and mineral supplements after years of debate in committee. For those
countries that choose to adopt them, these guidelines will establish maximum
levels of vitamins and minerals based on safety evaluation through risk
assessment rather than on RDIs (recommended dietary intake). Although NNFA
has opposed maximum upper limits on vitamins and minerals, the association
agrees that in the event such guidelines are issued, they be based on sound
science. But regardless of the adoption of the guidelines, consumer access
to dietary supplements in the United States is not in danger. Domestically,
dietary supplements are protected by U.S. law, the Dietary Supplement Health
and Education Act, which will continue to govern sales here. Dietary
supplements have additional protections under the law, which are detailed in
a recently added report from the Congressional Research Service. Visit NNFA’
s Codex Resource Center at www.nnfa.org/codex for more info.
Dana Ullman, MPH
www.homeopathic.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: Codex...without the hype

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 12:18 pm
by Shannon Nelson
Hi Dana and all,
I would *like* to think you are right, but the wording contained in the
CAFTA bill (or whatever it's called) to be voted on in Senate after
July 11, contains wording that does not support this rosy view--not at
all.

Re-post of highlights--if anyone wants a repost of the whole, let me
know:
Don't exhale yet--just *contact your senators--snail mail is too slow
(especially with the screening it all goes thru now); so e-mail or
phone!

I am not clear on the relationship between CAFTA and CODEX, but they
seem to be birds of a feather. (Can anyone clarity?)

Shannon
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]