b'! NHF HELPS STOP VETWhen called upon by the Chairman, I told the Commit-tee that:DRUG FROM FLOOD- Growth-promoting substances do not belong in animal husbandry and that many food companiesincluding ING THE WORLD Tyson and Merck itselfhave had concerns about Zil-paterol causing health and behavioral problems with BY SCOTT C. TIPS, NHF PRESIDENT cattle (and Merck even pulled the product off the mar-O n the third and fourth days (July 14-15, 2021) ofket);The residues in food can impact humans even at the lev-the most recent session of the Codex Commit- els currently determined by JECFA to be safe, causing tee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foodstremors, heart palpitations, and other health issues;(CCRVDF), held online, the National Health FederationZilpaterols use in horses has already been banned, so (NHF)theonlyhealth-freedomadvocacyorganiza- why are we trying to use it in cattle?;tion accredited by Codex Alimentarius to participate atBeing a catecholamine, Zilpaterol has been implicated its meetingshelped the European Union, Switzerland,as a contributory cause for increased bacterial problems Norway, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Thailand, Malaysia,coming off commercial feedlots these days;Morocco, and Egypt withstand a concerted effort by MerckNo risk assessment of this dangerous chemical com-and its minions (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, USA, Can- pound has been done in connection with other vet drugs ada, and all other Western-Hemisphere countries) to push thealso given to food animals so there is no information Zilpaterol standard much closer to adoption by the Codexon the cumulative and synergistic effects on humans or Alimentarius Commission. animals from the drug residues of Zilpaterol and other Zilpaterol is Mercks special steroid-like veterinarydrugs acting together;drug for cattle, pigs, and poultry that unnaturally pushes Consumers have the right to know and choose what they them to make more muscle and less fat. It harms the an- are consuming and Zilpaterol residues violate that right imals who get it and it harms some of the humans whosince they are not declared on the food; eat them. There is no therapeutic benefit whatsoever to the Codex is the sole Risk Manager here, so its entirely ap-poor animals, only financial benefit to the vet-drug com- propriate for it to accept or reject any risk assessment, panies. And, yet, you should have seen some of the fiercefor any reason whatsoever; andemotions on display at this Codex meeting when countryGiven all of these problems with Zilpaterol, NHF would proponents of Zilpaterol pleaded with the Committee tolike to hear from Merck, the sponsor of this drug, how push the Codex standard further up the 8-step approvalZilpaterol aligns with its Environmental, Social, and process at Codex just so that Merck and others could makeGovernance (ESG) goals [especially given Mercks an-more dollars around the World. With such passion, younounced commitment to the Precautionary Principle on would have thought they were trying to save lives; but, no,page 14 of its latest ESG Progress Report].it was only about the money.ThisisatleastthesecondtimethatNHFSpecialrecognitionmustbegiventotheEuropean anditsallieshavedefeatedMerckanditsUnions head of delegation Risto Holma and the Russian ZilpaterolsupportersatthisCommit- Federations head of delegation Anna Koroleva, both of tee.(Readourfullreportofthatpreviouswhom did superb jobs arguing against a Zilpaterol Codex victory and the Codex science representatives personal at- standard. While tough on NHF, CCRVDF Chairman Kevin tack upon NHF at https://thenhf.com/2019/07/22/victo- Greenlees was also fair and even-handed as he negotiated ry-at-codex-over-dangerous-vet-drug/.) a treacherous path between two very entrenched camps. 24 H ealtHF reedomN ews /s ummer2021'