The Codex Alimentarius Commission, created in 1963 by the UN Food and Agricultural and World Health Organizations, creates international guidelines for food products, including dietary supplements, that are internationally traded. These guidelines make up the Codex Alimentarius, or food code for, international trade.
The 28th Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Rome, July 4th to 9th, 2005, ratified vitamin and mineral supplement standards more restrictive that the US Dietary supplement health and Education Act (DSHEA). The restrictive Codex guidelines, while not limiting United States consumers’ access to supplements immediately, could lead to worldwide restrictive supplement standards. DSHEA is a more appropriate international standard.
The Codex guidelines, developed over eight years by the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), treat nutrients as toxic chemicals, calling on the FAO/WHO Nutrient Risk Assessment Project to set upper consumption limits.
If the Commission adds the restrictive vitamin and mineral standards to the Codex Alimentarius it is likely to become the model relied on when Codex, WHO, FAO, the European Food Safety Authority, the FAO/WHO Nutrient Risk Assessment Project and/or any other international standards setting body creates international standards for other dietary supplements such as herbs.
Key Points:
- Consumers believe world-wide health is undermined by the limits to nutrients recommended by Codex guidelines that will likely be used by many countries.
- Codex vitamin and mineral guidelines, themselves, will not change U.S.laws but will create political pressure to change U.S.law.
- Codex establishes a flawed toxic chemical risk assessment model to regulate helpful nutrients. This approach treats nutrients as dangerous chemicals and ignores nutrition science and supplement benefits.
- Codex is not, and should not be confused with, the European Food Supplement Directive (EFSD). The EFSD--if upheld in court--will strictly limit European access to many dietary supplements beginning August 1, 2005. This law governs European markets and is not part of Codex, although both bodies treat dietary supplements as toxic chemicals rather than beneficial nutrients.
- Natural health consumers must remain organized to protect and expand our health rights. Take action today to support DSHEA as the international standard for dietary supplements!
