Post by Val Young on Sept 8, 2009 20:56:12 GMT
Q - Is there anything that you can do to stop Codex Alimentarius going through in the UK?
The proposal is that doctor’s prescriptions will be needed to obtain food supplements, e.g. vitamins and minerals.
We are all very concerned and encouraging everyone to sign the No. 10 petition.
Please take this on board, if it does go through as is, it will adversely affect us all.
A -
Dear TLC
Thank you very much for your recent email with regard to the Codex Alimentarius.
I have been directed to the website, with which you may be familiar, of the Alliance for Natural Health who make a number of points about the Codex. In particular, this section applies to your email. www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/codex
There is a rumour circulating that Codex will come into force on December 31st 2009. This rumour is incorrect. This date actually represents one of many implementation dates of the European Food Supplements Directive and is nothing directly to do with Codex.
The text for the Codex Guideline on Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements, which has been based closely on the EU Directive—sharing some of its text verbatim—was ratified in July 2005 but is unlikely to finalised until around 2012 or 2013. It is only at this time it is likely to be used as the basis for national and regional laws in many parts of the world. To a large extent, Codex guidelines on food supplements are irrelevant to Europeans as they simply reflect the European laws on which they are based and it is the laws that ultimately affect our access to products, not the Codex guideline.
Many other guidelines and standards, for example those affecting genetically modified (GM) foods and organic foods are complete, although they tend to be subject to regular amendment.
As the above text mentions, the issue your email relates to is connected to the European Food Supplements Directive. The Liberal Democrats have expressed concerns at the impact this will have. We are concerned about the effect that further legislation in this area may have on small business and, indeed, on consumers health. At the core of this issue, however, is a question of freedom of choice for consumers. We need to ensure that consumers retain control over their choices concerning their own diet and health and that when they make these choices they have as full a picture as possible as to the potential consequences of their actions.
The new regulations proposed by the Food Supplements Directive would provide maximum dosage limits and would control the types of vitamins and minerals that are approved for supplements. This may decrease the range of products which are available in this growing market, meaning that individuals may not be able to tailor their supplements as specifically to their own needs. The Liberal Democrats support moves to regulate supplements where there is significant scientific evidence that they may be harmful to individuals’ health. However, I am concerned that the Directive appears to be disproportionate in its potential impact.
However, I certainly support steps to ensure that advertising claims are fair and not misleading. I have concerns that the new regulations will have a negative impact on the availability of food supplements. The Government needs to do much more to protect peoples’ rights to take these products. Our health spokesperson has been lobbying the Health Minister Dawn Primarolo MP to be robust in her negotiations with the Council of Ministers and we will continue to do so.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
TIM FARRON MP
The proposal is that doctor’s prescriptions will be needed to obtain food supplements, e.g. vitamins and minerals.
We are all very concerned and encouraging everyone to sign the No. 10 petition.
Please take this on board, if it does go through as is, it will adversely affect us all.
A -
Dear TLC
Thank you very much for your recent email with regard to the Codex Alimentarius.
I have been directed to the website, with which you may be familiar, of the Alliance for Natural Health who make a number of points about the Codex. In particular, this section applies to your email. www.anhcampaign.org/campaigns/codex
There is a rumour circulating that Codex will come into force on December 31st 2009. This rumour is incorrect. This date actually represents one of many implementation dates of the European Food Supplements Directive and is nothing directly to do with Codex.
The text for the Codex Guideline on Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements, which has been based closely on the EU Directive—sharing some of its text verbatim—was ratified in July 2005 but is unlikely to finalised until around 2012 or 2013. It is only at this time it is likely to be used as the basis for national and regional laws in many parts of the world. To a large extent, Codex guidelines on food supplements are irrelevant to Europeans as they simply reflect the European laws on which they are based and it is the laws that ultimately affect our access to products, not the Codex guideline.
Many other guidelines and standards, for example those affecting genetically modified (GM) foods and organic foods are complete, although they tend to be subject to regular amendment.
As the above text mentions, the issue your email relates to is connected to the European Food Supplements Directive. The Liberal Democrats have expressed concerns at the impact this will have. We are concerned about the effect that further legislation in this area may have on small business and, indeed, on consumers health. At the core of this issue, however, is a question of freedom of choice for consumers. We need to ensure that consumers retain control over their choices concerning their own diet and health and that when they make these choices they have as full a picture as possible as to the potential consequences of their actions.
The new regulations proposed by the Food Supplements Directive would provide maximum dosage limits and would control the types of vitamins and minerals that are approved for supplements. This may decrease the range of products which are available in this growing market, meaning that individuals may not be able to tailor their supplements as specifically to their own needs. The Liberal Democrats support moves to regulate supplements where there is significant scientific evidence that they may be harmful to individuals’ health. However, I am concerned that the Directive appears to be disproportionate in its potential impact.
However, I certainly support steps to ensure that advertising claims are fair and not misleading. I have concerns that the new regulations will have a negative impact on the availability of food supplements. The Government needs to do much more to protect peoples’ rights to take these products. Our health spokesperson has been lobbying the Health Minister Dawn Primarolo MP to be robust in her negotiations with the Council of Ministers and we will continue to do so.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
TIM FARRON MP
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