PRESS RELEASE

Stop Excessive FDA Regulation

Push to Amend the FDA Globalization Act Now

August 12, 2008

          [ Due to the critical nature of this proposed bill, and its serious implications domestically and internationally, to consumers and supplement suppliers, we feel that it is necessary to sound the alarm a second time.  (See June 2008 press release- Click This Link) ]

FDA Globalization, Keep the Letters and E-mails Coming

By Lee Bechtel, NHF National Lobbyist

          The NHF is the only consumer-driven, health-freedom group taking the lead in lobbying Congress on the latest threat to supplements and nutritional foods – the FDA Globalization Act.

          The NHF has asked its members to petition their Congressional Representatives to amend the current draft bill, sponsored by Representative John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  The goal is to specifically exempt supplements from inclusion/classification by the Food and Drug Administration as conventional foods which would be subject to more costly and burdensome FDA regulations and interference. Dietary supplements and most nutritional foods are currently regulated under the provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education (DSHEA) law. As proposed, the Globalization bill would eliminate the distinction from conventional food products. If treated as conventional foods, for example, every time a small supplement or nutritional food manufacturer changed or added a new ingredient, they would be required to get advanced FDA approval under the New Dietary Ingredient regulations applying to conventional food products, as opposed to the less-regulated DSHEA provisions.

          The grassroots-advocacy efforts of the NHF members, and others who rely upon the NHF for leadership in confronting the FDA, are having an influence.  Prior to and just after the recent Congressional recess, visits by the NHF lobbyist with key Congressional staff demonstrated a higher level of awareness and concern for the need for adding exemption language to the current draft legislation.

          Some of the Washington-based trade associations for the health food industry are also concerned with this legislation. Companies like Vitamin Research Products are proactively getting their customers and general consumers involved. Unfortunately, other health-freedom groups have yet to join in the effort.  There apparently is a lack of understanding on the magnitude of the impact the proposed bill language would have on access to supplements and nutritional food, as well as the financial cost to industry that would in turn be passed on to consumers.

          The yet-to-be-numbered Dingell bill would institute new yearly FDA user fees and registration requirements for domestic and foreign dietary-supplement suppliers and manufacturers. It would give the FDA one-sided legal authority to recall contaminated "foods" as "unsafe medications."  Now, the FDA can only ask companies to withdraw a supplement product if the FDA first deems it to be a drug, an adulterated food, or unsafe for consumers. More information is available on the NHF website (column section- http://www.thenhf.com/government_affairs_federal.html or see live links below) and there is a samplepetition letter for all interested parties to send to the Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  In the Senate, Senators Kennedy or Dick Durbin are expected to introduce an identical bill to the House bill, pending the return of Senator Kennedy following his recent brain-cancer surgery.

          This bill needs the continued support of NHF members and others to be amended. Nutritional foods and dietary supplements should not be subjected to unneeded registration and FDA user-fee requirements. Please spread the word and have your friends and family go to the NHF webpage to petition Congressional Members to change this legislation.

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FDA Globalization Act (Bill overview) - (Click this link)

Additional Information on the FDA Globalization Act- (Click this link)

To Read Representative John Dingell's Memo- (Click this link)

To View the Sample Petition Letter- (Click this link)

Committee on Energy and Commerce Members (Click this link)

NHF members and the health freedom community in general, must get behind our lobbying efforts to obtain clarification/exemption language included in the Globalization legislation.

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Click on this address to contact your Congressperson
in the U.S. House of Representatives:  http://www.house.gov/writerep

Click on the following links below for individual mailing addresses for 
letter writing and other contact info for Congress Members: 

House of Representatives

Fax List for Congress

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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, and proactive actions on Congressional legislation and FDA matters that have meaningful impacts upon our freedom-of-health choices and access to dietary supplements and nutritional foods.

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Click here for the permanent link to this press release, use this link to inform others.