Petition to U.S. CODEX Office to Follow DSHEA Builds Steam

Petition to U.S. CODEX Office to Follow DSHEA Builds Steam

WASHINGTONA CitizensPetition, initiated June 1 by the Natural Solutions Foundation in an effort toconvince the U.S. Codex Office to resist harmonizing with any Codex proposalthat does not follow the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA),was signed by three U.S. Congressmen. Representatives Ron Paul (R-Texas), DanBurton (R-Ind.) and Peter DiFazio (D-Ore.) issued a joint congressional letterto Ed Scarborough, Ph.D., manager of the U.S Codex Office, demanding he directU.S. delegates to the upcoming Codex meeting in Rome to oppose adoption of therestrictive Codex Vitamin and Mineral Guideline (VMG).

The petition contends the Codex VMG violates DSHEA by settingupper limits for nutrients and treating them as drugs. The U.S. Codex delegationhad previously announced its intention to support the VMG adoption; however, thethree congressmen, Natural Solutions and numerous individuals who signed thepetition claim any attempt to support the Codex VMG is illegal. They argue theOmnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (Title 19 USC 3512(a)(1) and(a)(2)) prohibits the United States from harmonizing with any standard whichviolates United States lawin this case, DSHEA.

The VMG ... threatens our rights and laws in a serious way,wrote the Congressmen. This [Codex] standard represents a violation of thesignificant protection offered to us in this country by laws like DSHEA andsimilar statutes.

The petition has been presented also to the White House, theDepartment of Health and Human Services, the Commerce Department, theEnvironmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) andCongressional leaders from both parties. The 28th General Sessions of the CodexAlimentarius Commission, a United Nations trade agency, was scheduled for July 4to 9 in Rome.