We usually publish our newsletter on Tuesday. We held it overnight in order to report on the outcome of the Senate HELP Committee’s “FDA Food Safety Modernization Act” (Food Safety) mark up hearing. This hearing would decide whether to amend the dangerous Codex provision. The decision would have a momentous impact on the future of dietary supplements.
During the past few weeks, we met with most HELP Committee Senate offices to discuss our concerns and request an amendment to the Codex language in the Food Safety bill. Why were we so concerned? Because the original legislative language appeared to commit the US to the concept of harmonization of our food and supplement safety laws with a global standard. This global standard in turn is very likely to reflect European standards which are extremely hostile to dietary supplements.
Thanks to the amendment, the bill no longer requires the development of a plan “to harmonize requirements under the Codex Alimentarius”. Now the bill calls for a plan “on whether and how to harmonize requirements under the Codex Alimentarius” (§306, p. 116).
As will be evident, we have not succeeded in eliminating the Codex provision entirely. This is because the Senate wants to keep open the option of adopting some Codex rules while protecting dietary supplements from the harsh European regime. The language of the amendment means that we will have to remain very vigilant and probably refight the same battle over again in the future. But at least the US has avoided committing itself to the concept of Codex harmonization. And this is a very important legislative victory
US law on dietary supplements is currently governed by The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). Senators Harkin and Hatch, strong supporters of natural health and the use of supplements, have assured us that asking the FDA to review Codex standards will not be allowed to threaten DSHEA. This is vital of course because of the FDA’s well known hostility to dietary supplements.
In his opening remarks in the mark up, Senator Harkin, chair of the HELP Committee, emphasized this message of protecting DSHEA. As the Senate moves forward with the legislation, Senators Harkin and Hatch have also promised to see what else can be done to make absolutely clear that none of its provisions will impact our access to high quality, potent dietary supplements.
There is more good news. The Senate Food Safety bill has eliminated many of the provisions in the House bill that most troubled us. However, we can’t forget that after the Senate passes it’s version of the Food Safety bill, the House and Senate will go to conference. There they will work behind closed doors to combine the Senate and House versions of the bill. This means that the worst provisions of the House bill could return.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the House bill is the increase in jail sentences (from three to ten years) and fines (to $100,000 for individuals and $7.5 million for corporations) for “adulterating” or “misbranding” food or supplements. If a food or supplement company cites scientific, peer-reviewed studies in support of a health benefit of a product, this would be deemed by the FDA to be misbranding and could trigger the penalties. Likewise, as defined in the current Good Manufacturing Practices, even minor paperwork violations could, per the FDA, represent adulteration and lead to draconian fines or jail sentences. These penalties are particularly worrying because of the FDA’s well established record of intimidation and legal harassment of innocent parties. It often seems that the FDA’s primary concern is to protect drugs from competition. Drug companies of course pay a significant portion of the FDA’s salaries.
The House bill also imposes new fees on food operations of all sizes, from the very smallest to the largest; imposes record keeping, hazard analysis, food safety plans, and more on farms as well as businesses, small and large; gives the FDA control of farming standards and practices, despite the Agency’s ignorance of these matters; permits the FDA to conduct random, warrantless searches; and ignores the recommendations of a government report on the failings of the FDA and the urgent need for reform at the Agency.
We will continue to work with members of Congress to ensure that the final version of the Food Safety bill does not compromise your access to healthy, natural and sustainable healthcare options, including high quality food and food supplements.
We’ll keep you updated!
4 comments
Comments are closed.
When we win these jackal devil lovers should go to jail for trying to subvert us. That includes any in Congress or the Senate that vote against our freedoms as well as any person representing the NWO.
It’s gratifying to know that our voices are being heard, and that we are making a difference.
We must not stop continuing the voting to push back S.510. We still need to keep our eyes and ears open until Nov.29, 2010. We can’t give up We are the People”. Without us no one wins. Let’s keep us together so we can accomplish the Glorious Day when we can say we have really FREEDOM!!!.
PRODUCTION IS IN THE SYSTEM. WE HAVE A MANAGEMENT PROBLEM.
OUR TOP MOST MANAGERS, OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, NATIONAL AND STATE ARE 80% CONTROLLED BY SUPER WEALTHY, SUBJECTIVE SPECIAL INTERESTS (IF NOT OUTRIGHT THEN BY PSYCHOLOGICAL TECHNIQUE TO CONCEAL SUBJECTIVE GOALS THAT ARE NOT IN THE LONG TERM COMMON GOOD.).
THE MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE THING WE CAN DO IN OUR ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST IS TO GET ONE TERM LIMITS FOR ALL OUR REPRESENTATIVES. (4 OR 6 YEARS)
MOST PEOPLE AGREE ABOUT 80% OF THE PEOPLE ARROUND US ARE RELATIVELY GOOD PEOPLE WHO DO MAKE RATIONAL EFFORT FOR THE COMMON GOOD MOST OF THE TIME. (THE JURY SYSTEM WORKS FAIRLY WELL. ON AVERAGE, IT IS ABOUT 80% EFFICIENT.)
AT THE VERY WORST 80% OF OUR ONE TERM POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES WOULD TEND TO MAKE GOOD LAWS, QUICKLY CORRECT ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN EARLIER LEGISLATION AND MANAGE THE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRIES AND BUROCRATS MUCH BETTER.
BUREAUOCRATS ARE EMPLOYEES NOT MANAGERS OF FIFDOMS WITH “NO” AUTHORITY. I CAN SAY “NO” AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO ME AND MY PENSION AND MY CURRENT STATUS. IF I SAY YES AND THE SUBJECTIVE PERSON ABOVE ME DOES NOT LIKE IT I CAN LOSE MY JOB AND PENSION PRIVILEGE; THE JOB HAS MORE VALUE THEN ONES OBJECTIVE MORAL JUDGMENT ONE’S HONOR;). THIS COMPETITIVE WIN – LOSE ATTITUDE, EVEN ON THE SAME TEAM, IS PROGRAMMED INTO MOST PEOPLE, AROUND THE WORLD, WHEN WE ARE YOUNG.
EVEN THE SUPER WEALTHY POWERS THAT BE WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITH MORE OBJECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF OUR SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND STABILITY IN OUR SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
FREE AND LEGALLY EQUAL PEOPLE PRODUCER MORE, KEEP MORE, GIVE MORE AND ARE MORE SECURE. THIS WAS THE STRENGTH OF THE U.S. WHEN IT WAS FORMED IN COMPARISON TO MONARCHIES AND DICTATORSHIPS. MORE PEOPLE FEELING LIKE A PART OF THE WHOLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL MOTIVATES ALL PEOPLE. THAT IS WHAT MAKES REPRESENTATIVE DOMOCRACIES MORE PRODUCTIVE THEN THE OTHER LESS INCLUSIVE FORMS OF SOCIAL GOVERNANCE.
ONE TERM LIMITS IS THE EVOLUTION SOCIETY IS READY FOR NOW AND THAT THE U.S. SHOULD LEAD THE WAY TO. WHAT WE DO IN THE U.S. WILL BE COPIED WORLD WIDE. AS ONLY ONE LIVES, BLOOD AND MONEY EXAMPLE: THINK OF WHAT A DIFFERENCE WE WOULD HAVE IN AFGANISTAN IF THE PRESIDENT THERE WAS TERM LIMITED.
WHAT THE PAST CONGRESSES HAVE TIRED OR AVOIDED TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE TO GET REELECTED, FOR THE BEST OF RATIONALIZATIONS DID NOT WORK ANYWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AS IT COULD WITH MORE OBJECTIVE REPRESENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF OUR NECESSARY SOCIETAL ORGANIZATIONS. (THE COMPLETELY FREE MARKET HAS PROVEN ESPECIALLY FROM JANUARY 1995 TO JANUARY 2009 THAT IT DOES NOT MAKE DECISIONS TO PUT A HIGH VALUE ON CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, PRICE STABILITY, FULL EMPLOYMENT OR RATIONAL REGULATION. A MORE REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATION WILL NOT KILL MOTIVATION TO ACHIEVE, TAKE RISK AND MAKE COMMOM GOOD DECISIONS.)
WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOSE. ONLY FOOLS CONTINUE DOING THE SAME THING AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS.