“EUROPEAN COMMISSION AVOIDED TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HUMAN HEALTH” SAY SCIENTISTS FOLLOWING DETAILED STUDY OF EU
DIRECTIVE
ALLIANCE FOR NATURAL HEALTH PRESS RELEASE
For
Immediate Release
4 May 2006
In The
Precautionary Principle: A Critique in the Context of the EU Food Supplements
(FS) Directive, appearing in this month’s Environmental Liability journal,1
Dr. Jaap C. Hanekamp of the HAN Foundation provides a profound scientific and
legal critique of the EU Food Supplements Directive.2 He
concludes that, in the Directive, the European Commission avoided taking
responsibility for health of European citizens.
The article
is the first result of an independent scientific screening of the Directive
from the perspectives of toxicology (Prof. Dr. A. Bast,
The
Directive, so contends Hanekamp in this first publication, is a solid example
of how regulators have become increasingly preoccupied with managing their own
political and professional risks and personal reputation. This so called secondary
risk management creates a regulatory culture that, in the case of European
food supplements policies, engenders a lopsided focus on presumed risks of
excess toxicity, while simultaneously lecturing Europeans to ‘eat a varied and
healthy diet’.
According to
Hanekamp, the dietary habits of individual citizens have a far greater impact
on health than the regulators’ efforts to manage presumed risks of micronutrient
intoxication. Whether looked at from the viewpoint of the classic micronutrient
deficiencies or from the perspective of newly emerging healthy lifespan
or optimum health concepts, micronutrient deficiencies pose an infinitely
greater risk than intoxication.
Yet, against
the backdrops of the all too common bias for negative information about
possible health risks of products and activities, regulators can readily,
easily and sharply profile “intoxication as a result of food supplements
intake” as a target for regulation. Indeed, the dietary and lifestyle issues
that involve nutritional deficiencies are beyond their regulatory reach,
because regulators are not in a position to set rules and regulations that
interfere with the individual dietary habits of European citizens. This most
fundamentally misdirects the Directive.
INC’s
chairman Bert Schwitters underlines how “the article expounds how the
Directive’s implicit recourse to precaution seriously pre-empts
market-participation by innovative economic parties. The European Commission’s
precautionary stance entails an unremitting assessment of increasing numbers of
micronutrients that have already come or will come to market. This will
obstruct a level-playing field, and will deprive economic parties from their
rights to freely enter the European market. Since the precautionary principle
does not require a sound scientific basis to ban or remove a certain product
and excludes recourse, market participants’ financial and scientific endeavours
are constantly at risk.”
In a
reaction to the publication, the director of the
“Advocate
General Geelhoed and subsequently the European Court of Justice have shown up
some of the glaring shortcomings of the first part of the regulatory framework
developed by the EU for food supplements. But these problems will pale into
insignificance when future parts of the framework are turned into law – unless
we see a fundamental sea change in the EU’s approach to food supplement
regulation. The new system must take into
ENDS.
References
1) The
European Food Supplements Directive Assessed: a Critique, Prof. Aalt Bast,
Dr. Jaap Hanekamp; Environmental Liability journal, No 2 - 2006;
Lawtext Publishing Ltd,
2) Directive
2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council; 10 June 2002; On
the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to Food Supplements.
CONTACT for
further information
|
Dr Jaap
Hanekamp, CEO Bert
Schwitters, CEO |
Dr |
EDITOR’S
NOTES
HAN Foundation
The HAN Foundation (Stichting
Heidelberg Appeal Nederland) was established in the
International Nutrition
Company
The International Nutrition
Company, INC, is the Netherlands-based, worldwide source of Dr Jack
Masquelier’s original Oligomeric ProanthoCyanidins (OPCs). For further
information, see www.inc-opc.com
The
Good science and good law
underpin all of the ANH’s work, and the scientific reports produced by the ANH
are endorsed by many of the world’s leading doctors and scientists working in
the field of nutrition.
_______________________________________________________________________
From: Alliance
for Natural Health
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 2:19 PM
Subject: April 2006 eBlast
from the Alliance for Natural Health
|
Information
is everything The consumer is driving a
healthcare revolution in which natural products (our evolutionary heritage)
are central. This revolution, we believe, is unstoppable if people are
properly informed, regardless of what pharmaceutical interests, regulators or
the media try to do. In this edition of our eBlast,
we provide you — the vehicle of change — with links to at least three tools
that might help to inform people and sustain and accelerate the
revolution. These are:
We urge you, at the very
least, to forward this eBlast to at least 10 of your contacts who might be
concerned about the concerted plans around the world to remove therapeutic
natural products from the market. Doing nothing is not an option.
Failing to achieve our goals would mean we would all lose the ability to
self-care with natural products during our later years, and our children, and
future generations, would lose the ability forever to use natural products at
the core of their health management regimen. In short, people will be forced
to become dependent on pharmaceuticals. Boiling
the frog slowly Have you heard the urban
legend about the frog and the saucepan? The story goes: if you place a frog
in cold water and raise the temperature slowly, the frog won’t sense the
temperature change, and it will be boiled alive. Placed in warm water, the
frog will immediately jump out of the saucepan.. We can’t find a better
analogy to explain the threat posed to natural methods of healthcare. Take Codex for example. Some campaigns have
implied catastrophic changes will occur imminently, with all sorts of
supplements and organic foods at risk of being lost via implementation of
Codex in the near future. This viewpoint does not compute with our own
analysis. Codex guidelines on vitamins and minerals, for example, won’t
be ratified until around 2013, and it may be longer before countries impose
laws based on these guidelines. That gives national governments, manufacturers
and consumers at least another seven years to adjust to a low dose regime in
which vitamin C won’t be available in doses over 300 mg, and vitamin B6
will be limited to a measly 10 mg. So they think. This is, of course, not
something we can sit back and accept. This year and probably next sees the
critical development of the mechanical and scientific workings that are
central to attempts to outlaw therapeutic dosages of vital nutrients. In
other words, we need to act now to save the frog. For your information, the hot
bed for this work is the Electronic Working Groups of the Codex Committee on
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), in which we are
working with our For those who thought that the
dosage war was limited to vitamins and minerals, think again. Fish oils
and other omega-3 fatty acids that were considered by many as a sacred ground
that would never be regulated out of the market by over-zealous bureaucrats
because of their vital role in prevention and management of cardio-vascular
disease, immune function and behavioural disorders, are now hugely at risk
(see below). World
Health Organization receives ANH report on natural products for bird flu The report, as discussed in our last eBlast
(March 2006), launched at a press conference in We were seeking to present to
the World health Organization (WHO) the strongest possible case for any
non-pharmaceutical, natural product interventions, and we also know that
they are desperate for methods which lend themselves to global production and
supply which is often problematic for botanicals. If we cannot get WHO
agreement for some of these simple nutrients for which, in some cases studies
have already been undertaken with H5N1 (in vitro and/or in vivo),
then we stand even less of a chance of getting them to agree to support the
use of botanicals. We all hope the mutation(s)
required to cause the H5N1 bird flu virus to transmit readily from human to
human, the last prerequisite for a new influenza pandemic, won’t happen in
the near future. Or, if it does, we at least hope it won’t be highly
pathogenic and lead to the death of millions. However, the potential
consequences are such that this risk has already caused the WHO and
national governments around the world to invest millions in pandemic
preparedness planning. At the centre of these plans are the proposed use of
vaccines and anti-viral drugs, but neither, we argue, have the capacity to
significantly offset the problem, especially in the early stages of a
pandemic. We contend that if health
authorities ignore the evidence-base on natural products and fail to make
recommendations for their use in the event of a pandemic caused by a highly
pathogenic virus, this might lead to the unnecessary death of millions and
would amount to one of the most serious cases of professional negligence in
human history. One of the key purposes of our
report was to test the WHO’s ability to evaluate available science and weigh
up the risks and benefits of use of natural products as against the use of
pharmaceutical agents. For those who are skeptical
about the possible arrival of a pandemic, it is worth appreciating that at
least its perceived risk provides a unique opportunity to compare and
contrast pharmaceutical and natural product approaches in the face of a
perceived very serious health risk. As you’ll see in our report, we make the
case that it’s a slam dunk for natural products, even for the narrow range we
positioned for the front lines! Please note: Medical doctors or scientists who are
interested in endorsing the principles contained in the report, please email info@anhcampaign.org with your name, qualifications,
address and contact details. Endorsements will be forwarded by request to the
WHO. The report is now available
for download from our website for wider
dissemination. ANH and
the American Association of Health Freedom agree to affiliate Since our inception around four
years ago, ANH has built a solid reputation as one of the leading forces in
the protection of health freedom, through our ability to identify critical
problems and use good science and good law to unpick them. From our base in So, while Americans have
enjoyed the liberalisation of dietary supplements brought about since the
passage of the Dietary Supplement and Health Education
Act of 1994
(DSHEA), the bad news is that this regime is far from safe. In fact, we hope
to raise funds to pay for a legal opinion from a
leading New York law firm which has already identified some of the real risks
to the current US dietary supplement regime. In a bid to further increase
the global impact of health freedom work, ANH and one of the leading US
health freedom groups, the American
Association for Health Freedom,
have agreed last month to formally affiliate to allow better sharing of
resources and strategy on both sides of the Atlantic. Rob Verkerk attended an
AAHF board meeting on 7/8 April, and the Boards of both ANH and AAHF have now
approved the affiliation. We see this as the start of greater collaboration
between different health freedom organisations that have often been
criticised for being fragmented. Allergy
Research Group joins ANH’s Innovators Club There is no question that the At the forefront of innovation
are The door is open, and ANH
welcomes discussions with any responsible, natural health innovative company
concerned about their long-term viability in this ever-more complicated and
restricting regulatory environment. Is your favourite supplier doing enough
to protect its supply lines — have you considered dialoguing with them on
this? Omega-3s
under the spotlight ANH last month published two
rebuttals (see Articles and issues of interest, below) that followed
the British Medical Journal’s latest meta-analysis that stimulated
headlines around the world such as “Debunked!” ( Although, heralded as good
news for natural health, the successful granting of a petition by the FDA for a Canadian
sourced omega-3 product
(MEG-3®) may present some significant problems down the road. The FDA’s new ruling means
that companies can place certain claims on their packaging such as “An
Excellent Source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA”, “High In Omega-3 EPA and DHA” or
“Rich In Omega-3 EPA and DHA”. Products must contain a combined total
of at least 32 mg of EPA and DHA per serving to qualify for this claim.
Putting this in perspective, 32 mg of EPA and DHA represents 20% of the daily
value levels for EPA and DHA of the 160 mg per day recommended by the We see the key problem as
follows: an adult would typically need to consume 20 servings a day of a
product meeting these minimum requirements – and people buying even one
serving might then be less likely to purchase high quality, contaminant-free
supplements which would allow them to achieve optimal intakes. Looks to be a case, this time
of the FDA rather than the EU and Codex, trying to dumb down our supplements.
More evidence also for joined up thinking among regulators both sides of the
pond. ANH at
Natural Products Europe in The Natural Products Europe
trade show at Articles
and issues of interest April 2006: The This is typical of the mixed
and conflicting agenda that has typified the European regulatory authorities
approach to food supplements, both before and after the passage of the Food
Supplements Directive. The ANH has requested companies reliant on these
dossiers to get in contact, as this data could be very useful in building the
final phase of our case against the Food Supplements Directive, to be brought
in due course in the High Court, 19th
April: Meta-Analysis: A new tool to discredit natural health supplements. 25th April:
Vaccines at Birth a Possibility. This is a pitiful situation,
and shows just how far pharmaceutical-dominated healthcare is prepared to go,
and just how out of touch we are as a society with the natural mechanisms
that give rise to a strong immune response. Summary from the Institute
for Functional Medicine 13th International Symposium 19th – 2nd
May: The IFM international symposium, in If you are a practitioner and
have never yet attended an IFM Symposium, the next international symposium in ‘Big
Pharma’ book review Following hard on the heels of
Dr Marcia Angell’s book ‘The
Truth About The Drug Companies: How they deceive us and what to do about it’,
comes Jacky Law’s ‘Big Pharma: How the World’s biggest drug companies
control illness’. (US subtitle – ‘…….: Exposing the global
healthcare agenda’.) Published in the Rob recently reviewed this
book for Caduceus Magazine, and raved…. Most journalists report on
facts, weaving them into stories that are designed to capture our
imagination, helping the sale of newspapers, books, TV ratings or advertising
space. Journalists of the calibre of
Jacky Law are rare, particularly in terms of their aptitude to tackle the
big, bad pharmaceutical industry. It’s perhaps not so difficult to provide
substantiated evidence that condemns pharma. We’ve all seen that often
enough. It’s much harder to provide 250 pages of analysis of pharma’s
strategy to become the biggest factor in modern healthcare, and then provide
a way forward that could actually create a paradigm shift big enough to make
a difference to the way the pharma industry delivers healthcare to our
children, as they hit their more senior years. Jacky Law draws on her
25-years of experience of reporting on health issues. For seven years she
worked as associate editor for Scrip magazine, a slightly
controversial monthly mag for the pharma industry. In 2004, she left to write
Big Pharma. This book is a culmination of Law’s 25 years of
experience. Big Pharma - the book - tells us how it is. The
book’s power is in its balance. Pharma would have hit a brick wall by now if
it hadn’t had at least some success. Jacky Law gives us the whole picture,
with stunning examples and referencing backing up her every assertion. If you
have ever been on the receiving end of a pharmaceutical drug, or want to have
reasons to not consume such molecules, Big Pharma is essential
reading. Making matters even better, it’s not a bitter pill – it’s a
remarkably easy read. Arm yourself with the facts,
be informed, be illuminated and then pass the information along. Provide
yourself with the information that allows you to make a difference. This book
should be read by everyone who has an interest in their own health, or the
health of others. Click here to purchase the book from Amazon Some light
relief for when you’re ‘sitting comfortably’..... While the National Health
Service (NHS) in the We
URGENTLY need your help
As you know the ANH has geared
up once again to full campaign mode with regards raising the funds needed for
our return to the High Court in Your invaluable support has
helped us get this far and we offer you the following ways in which your
continued support can make the difference:
We give our sincere thanks to
those of you who continue to donate on a regular and/or spontaneous
basis. Any support that you can give us makes a difference. Please send cheques (in GB
pounds, US dollars or Euros) payable to the ‘Alliance for Natural Health’
to the **IMPORTANT
NOTE** Unfortunately it was brought
to our attention during the month of April that we have been experiencing
some problems with our Worldpay system for taking donations via the
website. Thank you to those of you who have persisted in trying to get
your donations through and have taken the time to email and alert us.
We are confident that the problem has now been resolved, but would ask you to
please email us at info@anhcampaign.org if you experience any further
problems. Please also be aware that we will be adding additional
payment streams to the website once the new build is complete, and we will
then be able to accept the full range of credit cards. We are aware
that some of you have had particular problems with using certain
credit cards and again thank you sincerely for persevering. Our new
website, which we hope to launch in around one month’s time, will have
several donation options, so greatly facilitating website donations. If you experience any further
problems, don’t forget that we can also accept cheques sent to the office
address below. As always, we’re interested in
any feedback or suggestions you might have and do our best to incorporate
them in future eBlasts. Thank you to all of you who continue to keep in
touch. In health, The
ANH Team ALLIANCE
FOR NATURAL HEALTH "The
promotion and protection of natural healthcare worldwide by good science and
good law" To unsubscribe, please go to www.alliance-natural-health.org/index.cfm?action=unsub forwarded by Zeus Information Service All information, data and material contained,
presented or provided herein is for general information purposes only and is
not to be construed as reflecting the knowledge or opinion of Zeus
Information Service. Subscribe Free/Unsubscribe: info@zeusinfoservice.com Zeus Information Service exists solely from the
donations of its Subscribers! TO MAKE A DONATION AND CONTRIBUTE TO
THE RUNNING COSTS - CLICK HERE!http://www.zeusinfoservice.com/Donations.html feel free to forward far and wide.... 'You must be the change you want to see in the world.’ – Mahatma Gandhi 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.' – Mahatma Gandhi |