ATS: European Union Set to Ban Nutritional Supplements

The European Union seems set to severely restrict access to many nutritional supplements that an estimated 50% of European residents use every day. The campaign against this move, led by the Alliance for Natural Health, has gained the support of leading British politicians, and it is hoped that the UK government will be able to use its presidency of the EU to bring some pressure to bear.



This is a highly complicated issue, with ties to big industry and to the joint WHO/UN "CODEX Alimentarius" (which is an international body charged with setting global food standards, and is therefore the piece of this that should be of interest to Americans...see the second supporting link).

Probably the single most appalling fact is that the EU's "approved list" includes some controversial compounds such as sodium fluoride and caustic soda, while scores of safe, non-toxic ingredients believed to benefit health, are excluded.

To take just one example: folic acid - found in spinach - will be banned, except for the form sold by drug companies!! Adding insult to injury, some products may escape the ban, but only if they pass special tests that will cost upwards of half a million dollars per ingredient. (And guess which industry has the deepest pockets??)


Related News Links:
www.theyworkforyou.com
www.healthchoice.org.uk
www.alliance-natural-health.org

Yep, it looks like the pharmacuetical industry has Mr Blair by the petard, much like bush has his in a jar on Glaxos CEO's desk...

the pharm industry has really abused the free market for long enough...
maybe we all need to convert to third world status so we can get underpriced drugs...

I was a little suspicious of the link, being as it is a company that sells mineral suppliments. But it is just covering a well know movement in europe.

BTW... does this mean they will go after all the little old ladies growing valerian tea in there backyard? Or is it just making them illegal to sell... but ok to grow your own?

I hope something like this doesn't come to be. The people who are behind this can s*ck it.

Troy

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong
I was a little suspicious of the link, being as it is a company that sells mineral suppliments. But it is just covering a well know movement in europe.

Yes, it was difficult to find actual media reports on this. I chose the Consumers for Health Choice link only because it had the best explanation I could find about CODEX Alimentarius in relation to this particular issue. Here is the official (US) Codex page.

BTW... does this mean they will go after all the little old ladies growing valerian tea in there backyard? Or is it just making them illegal to sell... but ok to grow your own?

As I understand it, this only applies to retail sales of supplements.

The reason why the politicans are backing this is that we have an industry supplying , essentially, drugs without any controls. Those herbal medicines could (NB could) contain high dangerous doses. The legislation is also backed by a number of non pharmaceutical groups such as the British Herbal Medicine Association, the European Herbal Practitioners Association and the Medical Toxicology Unit at Guy's hospital.

I do agree that the licensing costs is an issue that needs to be addressed since this favours the large pharmaceutical companies. But surely we should be aware of the dangers of what are essentially unlicenced drugs sold under the label of "herbal". Don't get me wrong I'm pro traditional/herbal medicines and I don't think our health systems make enough use of them. But surely there has to be some protection for the consumer ?

Imagine somebody dying from taking too high a dose of a herbal medicine and the government knew it was dangerous but had done nothing about it. This website would red hot with accusations of coverups.

There is a lot of evidence to support this ban as malcr has said above. I found some information on the danger of high doses of vitamins

www.bbc.co.uk...

I sure that the drug companies will be celebrating this but there are important reasons for the control of health supplements as they are currently essentially exempt from regulation so you really don't know when taking them if there are any dangers. I agree with malcr about licensing costs but shouldn't you be sure that a supplement you are taking is not potentiallly lethal?

I think it has a lot more to do with quality control and prescribed amounts of these supplements, quite a few ppl have died in my country from these pills and there was a huge supplement scare a while ago because of poisoning and they took it all off the shelves.

thanks,
drfunk

I find this disgusting. I've always taken high doses of Vitamin C especially when I'm coming down with the flu or a cold and it has proven to be very beneficial for my health and recovery

To take just one example: folic acid - found in spinach - will be banned, except for the form sold by drug companies!! Adding insult to injury, some products may escape the ban, but only if they pass special tests that will cost upwards of half a million dollars per ingredient. (And guess which industry has the deepest pockets??)

Since when does the government give a damn about our safety. This is about money and power. The main driving force behind this ban are the pharmaceutical companies. If the governments cared so much about our health then why isnt there a total ban on amalgam (mercury) fillings, flouride, aspartame, not to mention all those anti-depressants drugs that do more harm than good, that are all very dangerous to our health.

This sucks and I for one will be doing everything I can to ensure that this ban does not happen.


Go to www.conservatives.com/vitamins

sign the Conservative vitamin & mineral petition in support of there campaign. More effective Government action against European plans to outlaw many of our supplements is vital.

Please forward this email to your friends and colleagues. Ask them to sign the petition as well, and get their friends to do so too.

Take Care
Kindred

Well said, Kindred!

That's not to run down the other respondents, but I think we'll have to agree to disagree on some aspects of this.

I do agree that a few types of herbs are dangerous, and something probably needs to be done about that. And it's true that some vitimains are dangerous in extremely high doses, but surely that's an individual responsibility...I mean, you can kill yourself by drinking too much water.

Overall, the proposed legislation is asinine.

The FDA recently banned natural sources of ephidrine in health supplements in the U.S. because a few people were abusing them by taking super high doses and using them like speed.

The government should just put warnings on such nutritional supplements where appropriate and let the consumer decide for themselves.

Honestly I don't want something like a prescription for herbs, so I have to go to the doctor and get charged an arm and a leg for something I can get for a reasonable or cheap price at this point in time at a vitamine store. Right now I can pick up one of my handy nutritional books, see what herb, or nutrient I need. I go on to the store and get what I want. I didn't have to go to the doctor for that.

And I don't know that I trust the medical establishment enough to give me a sufficient or proper dose to do the most good for me. I allmost never go to a doctor, and I sure do not want to go every time I have a sniffle so I can get vitamin C. So, is a doctor going to tell me I cann't mega dose if I see the need to?

Exactly djohnsto77, just put warning labels and let the consumer decide. Make sure the public is informed. They are then responsible for their own decisions. Obviously there are dangers, that's life. Life can be dangerous, but we do have minds and the ability to make rational decisions.

No way, so they can jack up the prices. I'm going to take a look at that petition.

Peace,

Troy

Originally posted by kindred

Since when does the government give a damn about our safety. This is about money and power. The main driving force behind this ban are the pharmaceutical companies. If the governments cared so much about our health then why isnt there a total ban on amalgam (mercury) fillings, flouride, aspartame, not to mention all those anti-depressants drugs that do more harm than good, that are all very dangerous to our health.

Well said. ...and it's more than anti-depressants. Big pharma's taking some heavy hits right now. Looks like they're making a move on new territory...


Scott - great coverage, thread.


.

The same site, alliance for health, is invovled in a very similiar bit, but in this other version its the World Trade Organization thats the organization, and the cited laws are from the '60s apparently.

www.abovetopsecret.com...'

"Urgent: World Trade Organization control of vitamin, mineral"

Doesn't it concern anyone that the people who are sending out alarm notices are the ones involved in the supplement industry, and that the biggest affect of any of these supposed laws is that their industry gets more regulated and that they loose money?

Originally posted by Nygdan

Doesn't it concern anyone that the people who are sending out alarm notices are the ones involved in the supplement industry, and that the biggest affect of any of these supposed laws is that their industry gets more regulated and that they loose money?

Agreed - this issue needs a much closer look, and more critical analysis. ...I'm fairly braindead right now and about to go offline. Will think on it.


.

Originally from thread source by Alliance for Natural Health

There's a clue in the contents of that approved list: by and large, vitamins and minerals produced by big drug companies are on it, while ones made by small, specialist firms are not.

Another clue is provided by the fact that the big drug companies have welcomed the ban.

This is only about money and profits for the big drug companies. The drug companies can claim safety all they want but we all know it's about their bottom line. Is a new EU directive for all the folks of Europe coming soon? Guess we'll see if enough people are upset to stop this. If the directive passes, the drug companies score big on profits.

Good luck to you guys in your fight. If the drug companies succeed, I can only imagine the price of American vitamins increasing due to Europeans trying to import them. Of course the drug companies may ban imports as well. They'll use the safety concern just like American politicians are using to defend drug companies in the US from those Americans trying to import cheaper identical Canadian drugs (manufactured right here in the US). I'd be pretty upset myself if the drug companies wanted me to not take vitamins so I was sicker and would be required to take their more expensive drugs instead.

I'll add a note for the post above, the new EU directive will essentially ban the products made by almost all of the small companies unless they can afford a big stiff enormous fee to declare their product is safe. If you can't do it, then you can't sell your product anymore. Game over. End of business. Big drug company increases sales of their products. If I was a small business I would be warning the public or trying to get the message out as well. Unless you guys only want products labeled as safe from the big drug companies.


[edit on 9-2-2005 by orionthehunter]

Originally posted by soficrow
Agreed - this issue needs a much closer look, and more critical analysis. ...I'm fairly braindead right now and about to go offline. Will think on it.

Must...sleep...conspiracies can....wait...til to..morow....

Hope its not spongiform encephalitis causing the thinking problems tho!

Originally posted by soficrow

Well said. ...and it's more than anti-depressants. Big pharma's taking some heavy hits right now. Looks like they're making a move on new territory...


Scott - great coverage, thread.

Agreed! Just heard the most awesome internet radio program all about Codex Alimentarius and there's a lot more to this than meet the eye...its about controlling our health freedom of choice in favour of big business and big pharma (...and at the end of the day population control!)

For Canadians - this legislation is going to be passed July 9 so stock up! Here is an excellent website on the subject and petition. Pass it on! A million man march starts with one...

Stop the Madness

I see commercials for Enzyte (natural male enhancement), is this pushed by the drug companies? This is a bad direction we are headed if so. Again, I don't trust drug companies to know what my body needs or doesn't need.

Troy

Well, it seems its more than just the Alliance for natural Health that have reported this. Seems the EU really is trying to ban natural suppliments and vitamins, and some very famous stars are joining the effort to stop the ban.

www.indymedia.org.uk...

Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, and Phil Collins are just a few names on a list of many celebrities trying to stop the ban.

This ban is based on pure greed and hypocrisy, not any real concern for public health. Millions of people everyday take natural herbal and vitamin supplements with no ill effects. Only a small number of people really abuse them and thus get sick from taking too high of doses. By comparison, there are FAR more people who get sick from taking prescription medication sanctioned by pharmecuetical giants and the govornment. Chemical prescription drugs prescribed by the medical establishment are far more toxic, have terrible side effects, and cause more deaths and serious illness do to misuse, toxicity, or improper diagnosis than any cases of people taking natural supplements. If anything, many prescription drugs should be banned because they cause many more problems than they cure.

I take suppliments all the time, and have never gotten sick. I have no faith in modern medicine to keep me well, in fact, many times doctors have worsened problems with their medicines, which is why I no longer go to a doctor even when I am very sick. Through studying vitamins, nutrition, and natural medicine, I have in many cases successfully treated my own problems, problems doctors only worsened, misdiagnosed, or created. I have found my health to be great from taking vitamins as preventive measures, and when I do get sick, herbal therapy has not only shortened my recovery time, but I get sick far less often.

This is another example of a nanny state govornment taking away the independance and personal choice of individual citizens regarding their own health and lifestyles. They want to push people into patronizing the medical establishment, a medical establishment that cares more about money than healing, and a medical establishment I feel worsens many illnesses that people suffer from. They are taking away self suffciency and self empowerment of individuals, and this kind of tactic makes me sick.

Its very disturbing that this issue hasn't even been discussed in the mainstream media. It seems the EU, true to its nature, is keeping their activities as quiet as possible so that the general public does not have a chance to react and protest until it is too late.

www.findarticles.com...

Oh man... this talk about modern medicine screwing you over and everyone can very easily be their own doctor and know thousand of different enzymatic reactions that go on in your body, blood, brain, liver, lungs, kidneys, functioning of cells, metabolism, just by looking it up on internet or some second hand herbal book... I mean, COME ON!!! People are over-doing this "be your own doctor" fad. It is too dangerous. If curing diseases with "supplements" and "herbal" medicine was so good and easy, then why did so many people die in the past from the simplest infections and diseases?? Diseases that MODERN medicine has cured or developed a far better treatment then Vit C overdose.

That indymedia article makes it look like doctors and pharmacists have had one single mission for the past 100 years and that is "make everone more sick then they already are". Oddly enough, during the last 100 years human life span has increased, many diseases that were deadly are not deadly anymore, many infections that used to kill people now pass by with just an itch thanks to modern medicine. So, all that is crap, eh?

Doctors help people. They actually study human body properly. The medicine helps people. If you got tuberculosis and drink only tea and Vit C, you die. If you take proper medicine, imunisation, you LIVE.


If you feel a pain in your back, do you really think you KNOW all the possibilites, everything that can be the cause of that pain? Do you really think someone selling tea can tell you that? Or how about that all-time favourite "hey, I have a friend who had a pain in his back and he used *insert herb here*, I'm gonna do that too". Second hand self-diagnosis.... man....

Herbal medicine, nutrition supplements are ok as long as you are properly diagnosed and a lot of doctors do prescribe them as adjuvant to other forms of medication.

If this ban passes then people would actually go to a doctor before they buy them and that would greatly increase their lifespan, save them from their own stupidity.