NHF Codex Update
by Cheri Tips
June 2005
 

 

What lies ahead for individuals who value their current freedom to choose to consume healthy food, take supplements, and use alternative therapies without government restrictions?

What will become of the manufacturers, retailers of innovative food supplements, and the practitioners that depend upon the availability of these products to keep their patients naturally well?

The year 2005 should be a truly telling year.

There is static in the air concerning these questions, especially amongst health-freedom groups courageously trying to inform the general populace of the truth on these issues but doing so on meager budgets, and with small office support staff. The cavernous pockets of the pharmaceutical companies' media budget enable them to hoodwink consumers by spewing propaganda with their spin of "all is ok, no need to worry" version of the future of vitamins and supplements and to unleash their captive regulators upon an all-too trusting, government-worshiping populace.

Two positives come to mind at this point. First, even though the pharmaceutical companies have deep monetary pockets, and they have contributed enormous amounts of money to federal candidates and lobbying efforts this past year, they are currently on the chopping block concerning the safety of U.S. citizens in regards to the drug supply, with the industry facing new federal scrutiny and possible regulations in the future. Secondly, the internet has become quite a blessing for the health-freedom movement, as we are able to globally network via the world wide web with other health-freedom groups who are fighting the same battles for freedom against pharmaceutical and global harmonization. Thanks to the internet, we do not have to pay postage fees to disseminate our messages to the world and fight the ongoing propaganda.

We will explore the current situation, give you factual information that you may rely upon, discuss what you as an individual may do to assist us, and the important steps involving Codex that the NHF has taken to work to ensure your health freedom.

Codex: Still the Hottest Issue


 The National Health Federation is no stranger to Codex, as it is the ONLY health-freedom organization that is officially credentialled as an INGO (International Non-Governmental Organization) by the Codex Alimentarius Commission with the right to attend and speak out at its committee meetings. From a health-freedom standpoint, then, the NHF is the only game in town AT these meetings. For the past five years Scott Tips, NHF board member and legal counsel, has been attending these meetings as our official Codex delegate and reporting back via his articles in Health Freedom News, alerting NHF members and others of the Codex threat. Other NHF board and advisory-board members, Tamara Theresa Mosegaard, Paul Anthony Taylor, and Sepp Hasslberger have also been in attendance at several meetings. Most recently, Paul Anthony Taylor and Scott Tips were present at the Codex Committee General Principles Meeting held in Paris, France on April 11-15th, 2005. No stone is left unturned by the NHF when it comes to Codex, and our information relating to Codex is highly credible.

 

Unfortunately, there is much misinformation circulating regarding Codex. Some individuals have not thoroughly researched all data on this convoluted issue, and other false information is probably intentionally being sent to dupe the reader into comfortable ignorance of the subject in an attempt by pharma-backed groups whose goal is to ultimately force supplements into being categorized as drugs via Codex and global harmonization. This spin is flagrantly being cast out to the unsuspecting by groups such as the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), another group that has non-governmental status at the Codex meetings, and even by the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA), who represent retailers, manufacturers, and distributors of health and sports nutrition foods. Their tactics present the NHF and other health-freedom groups with an even more uphill battle as we waste time countering their high- priced PR firm sendouts to the unknowing. Grassroots health-freedom groups are popping up like flowers after a spring rain. We feel, though, the more the merrier as long as they are true to their word and not pharmaceutical-company backed, fronting as our ally.

The Federation has been watching and acting upon the Codex issue for many years, attending its meetings, and speaking out at the Committee meetings for all health-freedom advocates for half a decade. Our members are quite familiar with the issue.

In November 2004, at the Bonn, Germany Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (the committee which first drafted the Codex Draft Guidelines for Vitamin and Food Supplements), the NHF was represented by delegates Scott Tips, Paul Anthony Taylor, and Sepp Hasslberger. During this meeting the National Health Federation brought up the issue of the Committee's proposed adoption of the draft Guidelines at Step 8 and the fact that the drafting of those Guidelines had not been carried out in full accordance with the rules set out in the Codex Procedural Manual (14th edition). Once addressed, there was no action taken by the Committee.

With the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations) and WHO (World Health Organization) being joint administrators of the Codex Alimentarius Committee, the NHF is persevering in its efforts to be heard on this violation of policy. In late March, our organization submitted a formal paper (see http://www.thenhf.com/codex_37.htm)  to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for its consideration at the upcoming meeting in Rome, Italy. Receipt of this paper has been confirmed and both Scott Tips and Paul Anthony Taylor will be attending this meeting, which will occur on July 4-9, 2005. We expect quite a fight on this issue.

Because of the seriousness of this situation the NHF decided to go public with the matter by issuing a press release on May 5th, 2005, to bring this to the attention of the widest possible audience (see http://www.thenhf.com/codex_may_2005_nhf_press_release.htm). 

In January 2005, on another issue that would greatly affect supplements, the NHF addressed concern over the transparency of a workshop that FAO and WHO were announcing to define a "scientifically-based and internationally applicable approach for nutrient risk assessment." Their joint project was calling for "experts" to take part in the May 2005 workshop with the goal being to develop a scientific model for nutrient risk assessment. Their choice of experts could greatly affect the maximum levels that would be set, thereby influencing Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements. However, because there was no indication as to who, specifically, would be making the selection of experts to take part in the workshop, the NHF requested that the FAO and WHO make public the names of the person or persons who would be selecting the experts to take part in it (see http://www.thenhf.com/codex_30.htm). As regular readers of this newsletter will know, a worrying lack of transparency of this sort is all too common within the Codex, FAO, and WHO systems.

Codex Coalition for Health Freedom

A meeting was organized by Breena Hill and Cheryl Dicks of the American Association of Health Freedom and held April 22nd and 23rd, 2005 in Virginia to officially form a U.S. Codex Coalition. The AAHF did a very professional job with the meeting and deserve immense credit for its efforts. The coalition group decided to call itself the Coalition for Health Freedom, and will be an umbrella group of health-freedom organizations united to oppose the current direction of Codex to severely restrict vitamins and minerals throughout the world. Secondarily, the group hopes to directly counter the media spin that has begun to circulate with its false message of "all is well." Top Codex experts made presentations and specific lobbying and strategy efforts were discussed. The National Health Federation was represented by Scott Tips, with Paul Anthony Taylor and NHF lobbyist, Lee Bechtel, also in attendance. Members of Congress have been sent a survey form to gain an understanding of what they really know about the Codex agenda.

How can our members and readers assist in efforts against the corrupt Codex process?

First, you must educate yourself with factual information. Go to our website www.thenhf.com. Most important to this subject are our pages entitled Codex, EU Issues, Government Affairs (Federal), and the Articles page. Once you have a true understanding of the subject, inform others, as many people know nothing of Codex and its consequences. We would like Codex to become a household word as mainstream media is keeping the lid on it.

Re: Recent NHF Codex Press Release

(See http://www.thenhf.com/codex_may_2005_nhf_press_release.htm)

Given the clear intent of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to flout its own procedural rules, we feel that we are entirely justified in wanting to bring this matter to as wide an audience as possible in the run up to the Commission's next meeting which will be taking place in Rome in early July. It is at this meeting that the Commission will be attempting to adopt the Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements as a newly agreed global standard, and if they are successful our future health freedoms here in the United States, and indeed everywhere else in the world, will be very much at risk.

You can greatly assist us in our efforts by persistently bringing this matter to the attention of your Congressmen and Senators, as a first step towards (hopefully) encouraging the US FDA delegation to vote in Rome in favor of returning the Guidelines to Bonn for further consideration by the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses at their next meeting in November 2005.

The sad aspect of all this of course is that we know only too well that the US FDA is not on our side, as its website clearly demonstrates that the agency is pro-harmonization. The one way that we can possibly change their collective minds therefore is to collectively put pressure on them through our legislators. The NHF membership has a well-known history of positive impact when they rally to a cause and inundate legislators with their calls and handwritten personal letters on a topic.

The NHF is preparing for the next meeting of Codex in Rome, Italy, July 2005. The Commission will be attempting to adopt the Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements to become a global standard. This is an extremely dangerous time for health-freedom proponents all over the world.