PRESS RELEASE
MANIPULATIVE POLITICS AT CODEX –
WHERE FORM REIGNS OVER FUNCTION
July 12, 2010
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) opened its 33rd session on Monday, July 5th, at the Centre International de Conferences in Geneva, Switzerland, with a full agenda of food-standard topics to be discussed. Except for those spells during which vice-chairmen ran the meeting for practice, the CAC Chairwoman Karen Hulebak steered the meeting down its bobsled course with the National Health Federation (NHF) as a very active and noticed participant in the debates.
Among many other issues, the Commission debated the proposed Codex standard for ractopamine maximum residue levels (MRLs). Stuck at the final Step 8, and balancing on the edge of adoption by CAC, these standards are strongly opposed by the European Union, Russia, China, Turkey, and other member-country delegations as well as all consumer INGOs.
Ractopamine is a veterinary drug developed by a subsidiary of drug company Eli Lilly. It is approved in 22 countries, but either banned or not approved for use in 160 countries worldwide. Administered in the feed of animals in the last few weeks before they are slaughtered, this drug “beefs up” the animal so that more will be paid for them at market. Lost in the shuffle are any concerns about the health and welfare of the animals themselves as well as the health of the humans who consume ractopamine-saturated meat.
As argued by NHF delegate Scott Tips during the Commission’s sometimes heated debates, “This debate is being framed in a rigged way that is dishonest. Our goal here is not compromise and consensus, those are just tools, not an end in themselves. The goal as stated by you [indicating Chairwoman Hulebak] at this morning’s opening session is ‘to protect the health of consumers.’ Unfortunately, there always seems to be a push for adoption no matter what. This Commission has a habit of rubberstamping, rubberstamping, and rubberstamping what has been done below in the committees. Yet sometimes there can be no compromise or consensus reached, and you just have to stand back and say ‘no,’ ‘no more.’ That is what has happened here. This product, ractopamine, has been banned in 160 countries and there are delegates here representing 2.5 billion persons who are saying no to ractopamine. This is not a safe product. Others seem to want to push commercial interest over health instead. Some have argued that if we don’t approve a standard here than the credibility of the whole Codex system will be called into question. But, what will bring into question the whole system more than anything else would be to crank out a standard that leads to harming thousands of people – that would be far worse than simply failing to adopt a standard! We therefore agree with the comments of the delegates of Norway, the EU, China, and Russia, who are trying to protect the health of their citizens by taking a firm stand here against ractopamine.”
[For the Full Report and outcome of the debates click here.]
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For further information on Codex, please visit the NHF website (Codex): http://www.thenhf.com/codex.html
NHF Codex Book -NHF Codex Overview (May be used as an article or printed as a handout to educate on Codex) -
NHF-UK Codex Overview (May be used as an article or printed as a handout to educate on Codex) -
NHF-Dutch Codex Overview (May be used as an article or printed as a handout to educate on Codex) -
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As the oldest and best-respected health-freedom group on Capitol Hill, the NHF continues to be the credible source of objective assessment of, and proactive actions on, Congressional legislation and FDA matters that have material impact upon our freedom-of-health choices and access to dietary supplements and nutritional foods.
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National Health Federation: Established in 1955, the National Health Federation is a consumer-education, health-freedom organization working to protect individuals' rights to choose to consume healthy food, take supplements and use alternative therapies without unnecessary government restrictions. The NHF is the only such organization with recognized observer-delegate status at Codex meetings. www.thenhf.com
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