Codex Alimentarius approaches finalization

A tragedy for those who depend on nutritional supplementation is nearing reality.  The Codex Alimentarius commission, which will set global standards for all nutritional supplements, is scheduled to finalize its Directives at a November 1-5, 2004 meeting.  These standards, if adopted, would put outrageously restrictive limitations on dietary supplements into place.

While the effects of this standard might not be felt immediately, due to the various trade agreements in place, it will be hard — if not impossible — to avoid being forced into compliance with these standards.

This meeting, the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods For Special Dietary Use, will be held in Bonn, Germany.  The United States Codex Delegate is Dr. Barbara O. Schneeman, from the FDA.  She is backing the finalization of Codex vitamins standard.

That should come as no surprise.

The FDA is no friend of the dietary supplement industry — or your right to freedom of choice in healthcare.  It has been actively trying to destroy them for many years.  The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) has given us a reprieve for the last ten years, but if Codex is ratified, that could well become meaningless.

If these standards are finalized at the November Codex commission meeting (step 7 of an 8-step process), they won't be ratified until the next meeting in June 2005, in Rome, Italy.  [Update: The standards were, in fact, ratified in this meeting; but the details have yet to be filled in.  It leaves us all in something like the position of having just purchased a house, but the cost and the design of the house will be filled in later. 

The good news in this, however, is that Rima E. Laibow, M.D. and her husband, General Albert N. Stubblebine III (U.S. Army Retired) have been touring the world, talking with top government people in Africa and Asia, demonstrating to these people that dietary supplements offer a powerful and cost-effective alternative to the expensive pharmaceuticals that they had been taught to believe were their only viable options in healthcare.  (See HealthFreedomUSA.org for details.)  If delegates from these countries balk at the restrictive standards desired by the big EU and American pharmaceutical companies, there is some hope for us.]

Contributing to this problem is the Free Trade Area of the America's (FTAA), which would create a carbon copy of the European Union in this hemisphere.  All of the presidential candidates (election 2004) support this agreement.  George W. Bush has announced his intention to finalize negotiations to create the FTAA by January 2005.  This agreement actually poses the greatest danger to our freedom to choose a natural alternative in healthcare, since it is the vehicle for harmonizing American dietary supplement laws to the emerging international standards.

What you can do to help protect your freedom

The goal here is to get the Codex Commission to cease all efforts to finalize a Codex vitamin standard, and to overturn the European Union's Food Supplement Directive.  Here's what you can do:

• The Alliance for Natural Health is currently battling the Food Supplement Directive in court.  It has won the first round, but needs your support as this suit goes to appeal.  As goes the EU, so goes the world.
• Send a letter to US Codex Delegate Dr. Barbara O.Schneeman at the FDA, opposing her backing of finalization of a standard for vitamins and minerals, and send a copy to Congressman Dan Burton, as well as your own Senators and Congressmen.  This needs to be done immediately.

(A sample letter can be found at http://iahf.com/formletterschneeman.html. Feel free to put this letter in your own words.)  This letter can be mailed or faxed.  Faxed would be better.  E-mail also works well.

To find the addresses for your Congressmen go to http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml.  For your Senators, go to http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.  Other addresses are included in the form letter.

Please take the time to act.  Your silence could mean the difference in this important battle for freedom.