Codex Alimentarius Government and Corporate Control of Our Food Supply

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    CODEX

    CODEXgovernment and corporate control of our

    food supply?

    What is Codex Alimentarius? Single greatest threat to our access to natural health products? Misinformation about Codex How do governments make their decisions over how to control the worlds food

    supply? Observations about the Codex process What issues does Codex exert influence over? Important issues which Codex affects that impact our ability to manage our health

    naturally

    Is Codex voluntary? Wider impacts of Codex Damage caused by the global food trade Why are countries forced to dance to the Codex tango? The bottom line Crunch time What can an individual do? Key Action steps Recent meetings of the Codex Committee on Nutrition Codex Committee on Nutrition - official information Multimedia

    Further Reading Download ANH's one-page flyer Related Pages

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    What is Codex Alimentarius?

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission, Latin for 'food code', is an inter-governmentalbody that sets guidelines and standards to ensure fair trade practices and consumer

    protection in relation to the global trade of food. It was established for this purpose in1963 so has more than 40 years experience controlling food in an ever-more globalizedworld. It has over 170 member countries within the framework of the Joint FAO/WHOFood Standards Programme established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Its primary stated purpose is protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fairpractices in the food trade. The Commission also promotes coordination of all foodstandards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmentalorganizations (INGOs).

    The guidelines and standards are used as a benchmark for regional/national legislationand in World Trade Orgaization (WTO) diputes. Work is conducted through nearly 30

    committees, each dealing with specific areas of food, and decisions are based onconsensus voting by member countries. INGOs do not have voting rights, but mayinfluence proceedings. Most INGOs present at Codex meetings represent transnationalcorporation interests.

    Single greatest threat to our access to natural health products?

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission is responsible for establishing a system of

    guidelines, standards and recommendations that guides the direction of the global foodsupply. It aims to tell us what is safe, but in the process often uses criteria that aremanipulated to support the interests of the worlds largest corporations.

    Admirable, some might say, but of course, just how are governments in Codex protectinghealth, based on what criteria and what exactly is meant by fair trade practices?

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    Well, its certainly got nothing to do with the fair trade movement that aims to supportfarmers and producers in developing countries while promoting sustainability. Its muchmore about a system of guidelines and standards that work to the advantage of the largestglobal food suppliers and producers. In such company, inevitably, small producers andsuppliers get left out in the cold -- as do small governments that disagree with the thrust

    of some of the decisions made under the Codex banner.

    Codex Alimentarius, certainly in alternative circles, is often claimed to be the singlegreatest threat to our continued access to natural health products and wholesome foods.Robert Verkerk, of the Alliance for Natural Health, challenges some of themisconceptions and explains both what Codex is really about and what else we should beconcerned about.

    Misinformation about Codex

    There is a rumour circulating that Codex will come into force on December 31st

    2009. This rumour is incorrect. This date actually represents one of many implementationdates of the European Food Supplements Directive and is nothing directly to do withCodex.

    The text for the Codex Guideline on Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements, which hasbeen based closely on the EU Directivesharing some of its text verbatimwas ratified

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    in July 2005 but is unlikely to finalised until around 2012 or 2013. It is only at this time itis likely to be used as the basis for national and regional laws in many parts of the world.To a large extent, Codex guidelines on food supplements are irrelevant to Europeans asthey simply reflect the European laws on which they are based and it is the laws thatultimately affect our access to products, not the Codex guideline.

    Many other guidelines and standards, for example those affecting genetically modified(GM) foods and organic foods are complete, although they tend to be subject to regularamendment.

    Some of the misinformation on Codex appears to be deliberately disseminated, whileother parts are unwitting reproductions of the misinformation by concerned yet naiveindividuals. Among the common erroneous facts are:

    All nutrients (eg. vitamins and minerals) are to be considered toxins/poisons andare to be removed from all food because Codex prohibits the use of nutrients to

    prevent, treat or cure any condition or disease.

    All food (including organic) is to be irradiated, thus removing all toxic nutrientsfrom food (unless consumers can source their food locally).

    Nutrients allowed will be limited to a Positive List developed by Codex; it willinclude such beneficial nutrients as fluoride (3.8 mg daily), sourced fromindustrial waste.

    All nutrients (eg. vitamins A, B, C, D, zinc and magnesium) that have anypositive health impact on the body will be deemed illegal in therapeutic doses

    under Codex and are to be reduced to amounts negligible to health, withmaximum limits set at 15% of the current Recommended Dietary Allowance(RDA). You will not be able to obtain these nutrients in therapeutic dosesanywhere in the world, even with a prescription.

    It will most likely be illegal to give any advice on nutrition (including in writtenarticles posted online and in journals as well as oral advice to a friend, a familymember or anyone).

    All dairy cows on the planet are to be treated with Monsanto's geneticallyengineered, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).

    All animals used for food are to be treated with potent antibiotics and exogenousgrowth hormones.

    Use of growth hormones and antibiotics will be mandatory on all livestock, birdsand aquacultured species meant for human consumption.

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    The worldwide introduction of unlabelled and deadly GMOs into crops, animals,fish and plants will be mandated.

    These are big claims indeed. They are also deeply worrying for anyone who cares aboutmanaging his or her health naturally, be it by consuming copious quantities of

    wholesome, organic whole foods or taking lashings of supplementary vitamins, mineralsand herbs or both. The problem is that these claims are not all true. Some are actuallyquite far off the mark, yet most contain elements of truth.

    How do governments make their decisions over how to control the worlds

    food supply?

    Codex is comprised of over 40 committees, task forces and expert groups which deal

    with nearly every facet of food production. Codexs remit covers almost all areas of thefood supply, ranging from cereals, cocoa, dairy, meat, meat hygiene, sugars and freshfruit and vegetables to more controversial issues such as food labelling, food additives,contaminants in food, pesticide residues and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

    Committee meetings are hosted by particular national governments and held either in thehost country or another part of the world. For example, the host government for theCodex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) is Canada, whilst that for the CodexCommittee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), which deals,among other things, with food supplements, infant and formulae, is Germany.

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    29th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

    (CCNFSDU) 2007, Germany

    All Codex country members are permitted to attend each annual meeting or session andthe meeting is facilitated and closely managed by the Committees chair and secretariat

    that sits at the top table facing the delegates.

    Behind the country delegates, which typically comprise between three and five members,are the international, non-governmental organisations (INGOs). Depending on themeeting, these might include large consumer groups such as Consumers International, butthey tend to be dominated by industry interests. That tends to mean the variousinternational associations representing the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnologyindustries.

    Decision-making in committee meetings is by so-called consensus among governments.INGOs are not allowed to vote, but they can certainly interject during meetings and

    therefore have the potential to influence decisions.

    Observations about the Codex process

    Codex Alimentarius does not represent any law. It is however, the guidelines, standardsand recommendations instigated by the inter-governmental organisation of Codex thathas such broad ramifications on how the global food trade and food safety considerationsare managed.

    Government delegations that sit in the committees and task forces of codex are notdemocratically elected representatives; they are bureaucrats. One of the over-ridingchanges we have witnessed in recent years is the increasing influence of bureaucrats inrule making, for example, even the USA, which prides itself as a pre-world democracy,has seen massive growth in the influence of federal agencies as compared withdemocratically elected Congress. Jonathan Emord, in his bookThe Rise of Tyranny,estimates that as much as 75% of all laws in the USA are now created by agencies,completely bypassing the democratic process.

    While the bureaucrats in the country delegations of Codex are theoretically responsive toconcerns of stake holders and members of the public, often engaging with them via

    consultations, the practical reality is that the primary steer comes from majorcooperations. Small businesses and individuals may even make representations inconsultations to governments, but by and large their views are ignored. Decision-makingat Codex occurs by consensus, each country carrying a single vote. This process iscomplicated by the fact that countries may assemble as trading blocks, given changes tocodex procedure in 2003. The European Union now acts as a trading block where a singleunelected European Commission official typically represents Government representativesof the EUs 27 Member States.

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    Government delegations and the committee secretariat may be influenced by internationalnon-governmental organisations (INGOs) who participate in the Codex process whereofficial observer statushas been granted. While INGOs purportedly reflect all interestrelevant to a given committees activities (e.g. GMOs, food additives, pesticide residues,food hygiene, etc.), the reality is that INGO influence is disproportionately in favour of

    trade associations representing the largest trans-national cooperations in the foodsector. While excited debates during the course of Codex meetings may often occurbetween various INGOs governments and the secretariat it seems much of this is forshow as a demonstration of Codexs consensus process. The reality is somewhat morestark; in most situations the primary decisions have already been made prior to themeeting and INGOs voicing a contrary opinion will effectively find that its views haveno traction.

    Another interesting observation that can be drawn from Codex meetings is the extent ofthe influence of certain country delegations, and the lack of influence of others. Forexample, the case for the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary

    Uses (CCNFSDU) appears to be disproportionately influenced by the US, EU andCanadian government delegations with the German controlled secretariat shared by DrRolf Grossklaus exerting the primary influence. In these meetings it is clear that theseGovernment delegations have conferred deeply during the months preceding the annualCCNFSDU meeting, aided by particular trade associations in order to resolve decisions intheir respective favours.

    What issues does Codex exert influence over?

    There is no doubt that Codex develops the prime system of guidance for the global foodsupply. Whether were looking at the amounts of pesticide residues or particular micro-organisms that are considered safe, the amount of gluten allowed in gluten-free foods,transport and storage systems for fresh fruit and vegetables or the safety of food additivesor genetically modified (GM) crops, the particular Codex guideline or standard related tothe issue is viewed as the key benchmark for trade.

    One of the trends we see, given the disproportionate influence of very large corporateconcerns, is that GM foods, contaminants, additives, pesticide residues and othersynthetic chemicals that many of regard as intrinsically harmful, are pushed for all

    theyre worth, being deemed safe at those concentrations typically used in processedfoods. On the other hand, those things we consider intrinsically beneficial, such asvitamins and minerals, are given a very tough ride. If that werent enough, healthy foodproduction systems such as organically-produced foods, under the standards issuedthrough Codex, are increasingly degraded in order to suit the needs and interests of thetransnational corporations which are the key beneficiaries of the global food trade.

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    Looking through the diverse range of issues covered by Codex, its possible to tease outsome of the issues of greatest concern to natural health.

    Important issues which Codex affects that impact our ability to manageour health naturally

    Genetically modified (GM) food

    Driven by GM interests which argue world food requirements cannot be metwithout global implementation of GM

    Led by USA and Canada; EU may cave to pressure

    GM food plants being given the green light on safety

    Terminator seeds could be approved for international trade

    GM food animals are on the way

    Organic food

    Dumbing-down of organic standards to suit interests of large food producers

    Promotion of large-scale, high-input agriculture and international freight

    Approval of various synthetic chemical additives and processing aids in organicfoods

    No outright ban on use of irradiation post-production

    Labelling allows use of hidden, non-organic ingredients

    Food additives

    Approval as safe around 300 different food additives (mainly synthetic) including

    aspartame, BHA, BHT, potassium bromate, tartrazine, etc.

    No consideration given to potential risks associated with long-term exposure tomixtures of additives

    Pesticide residues

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    Allows significant residues of over 3,275 different pesticides, including those thatare suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, e.g. 2,4-D, atrazine, methylbromide

    No account taken of long-term effects of exposure to mixtures of residues in food

    Food/dietary supplements

    Setting very low maximum daily doses for supplements using scientificallyflawed risk assessment methods

    Effectively establishing international borderline between foods and drugs fornutrients, forcing therapeutic nutrients into drug category

    Requirement for clinical trials to substantiate health claims; too expensive forsmall companies. Therefore provides passport system for big corporations and

    acts as obstacle to freedom of speech for smaller ones

    Setting of unnecessarily low Nutrient Reference Values which seriouslyunderstate requirements for long-term optimum health for given sub-populations,age groups and genders

    Is Codex Voluntary?

    Because many of the issues take years to reach resolution, needing to work their waythrough the long-drawn-out, iterative, eight-step consensus-based decision-makingprocess detailed in the Codex Procedural Manual, sharp time lines are rarely known untilan issue in the very late stages of consideration. Moreover, the impact of any standard orguideline is not immediate, as its impact is normally only really noticed by consumers orproducers once national laws have been harmonised with Codex.

    But when citizens express their concerns about Codex to their governments, the commonresponse is along the lines of: Dont worry, Codex is a voluntary system of guidelinesand standards that is not mandatory. Codex doesnt represent the law. The US Food &Drug Administration (FDA) has made its views on this clear for several years,

    particularly given that most American concerns about Codex have centred around itsimpact on the USs fertile, dietary supplements industry.

    While the FDA attempts to downgrade the significance of Codex in the creation of lawson foods and related substances, such as dietary (food) supplements, the FDA issomewhat economical with the truth. It rightly pinpoints Article 3 of the Sanitary andPhytosanitary (SPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as being ofsignificance, but in my view, wrongly dismisses its crucial relevance.

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    Dr Rolf Grossklaus, Chair of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special

    Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)

    Wider impacts

    Mexico, where the laws have historically been lax enough to allow a thriving natural andintegrated cancer treatment industry to flourish, is now being forced to clamp down on itsown laws. The Trilateral Co-operation Charter, signed by the USA, Canada and Mexico,is increasingly becoming the mechanism to tighten the screws in all three countries.

    If theNorth American Free Trade Agreement proceeds, this will likely ensure thatpolicies affecting natural health (including GM, food additives, pesticide residues and allthe other things that Codex deals with) will be aligned to the existing European system.It's almost certainly why we see a transition away from Europe's traditional anti-GMstance towards a pro-GM stancemassively opposed by the European publicbecause

    that's the way the US and Canada want it to be.

    Once these various trading blocs are aligned, smaller nations will be forced increasinglyto dance to the tune of Codex.

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    Damage caused by the global food trade

    Weve established so far that the Codex Alimentarius Commission is the prevailingmechanism that dictates the rules governing the global trade of food. Weve also

    established that the WTO is the policeman that ensures these rules are abided by. Thequestion we need to ask ourselves is whether these rules are good for us, the people, andwhether they are good for the environment. The ANH position is that the development ofthe global food trade in the last 30 years is neither good for our health, nor is it good forthe environment.

    The system has few winners the main ones being the transnational corporations beingdirectly involved in the global production and trade of food and the pharmaceuticalindustry that profits from the increasing chronic disease burden that results.

    One of the key characteristics of the contemporary global food trade is its simplicity and

    lack of diversity. The nutritional content and quality of foods is a low priority. Foodhygiene as a means of controlling pathogens that cause food borne illness (a very real andpersistent threat to health) is a key priority but methods for managing such pathogens,such as the use of irradiation or large quantities of preservatives, deplete the integrity andquality of the food. The increasing use ofGMOs, which are endorsed by Codex, is ahuge problem both in terms of the effects on human health, and the environment.

    We uphold that the increasing control of our food supply by a small number ofgovernments and an even smaller number of corporations is counter to the needs andrequirements of the majority of the population of the world. A considerable and growing

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    body of work points to the fact that environmental and health sustainability requires theefficient functioning of local and community based food production and healthcaresystems that are optimally adapted to the local requirements. Such systems demandincreasing decentralisation rather than increasing centralisation. They demandcommunity and individual engagement rather than community and individual

    disempowerment.

    When the UN looked to 400 scientists from 60 countries to offer views on viableapproaches to solving the challenge of food security and world hunger as part ofthe International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology forDevelopment (IAASDT) project, the general thrust argued against biotechnology as asolution. In fact, the report stressed that making subsistence farmers dependent on GMseeds produced by just a handful of companies was completely counter to the foodsecurity requirements of these farmers. It stressed that sustainable and community basedfarming were central to a solution and of course Codex Alimentarius currently works in acompletely opposite direction.

    Why are countries forced to dance to the Codex tango?

    While countries like the USA are vocalising that they have no intention of harmonisingtheir national laws with Codex guidelines, they admit they will have to comply forexports in order to avoid falling foul of the global trade policeman, the WTO. But theseclaims are both deceptive and hollow; they fail to take on board the full implications ofthe double-edged sword that is Codex, dealing on one hand with the facilitation of global

    trade and, on the other, the restriction of trade, supposedly on the basis of consumersafety.

    As weve seen, the whole purpose of Codex Alimentarius is to instigate a system ofguidelines to which countries can adapt their laws to facilitate so-called fair tradingpractices in relation to food. That means removing barriers to trade. And since the WTOarbitrates on such matters, lets examine the WTOs SPS Agreement.

    The Agreement, under Article 3, specifically requires that countries harmonise theirsanitary and phytosanitary measures with international guidelines, standards orrecommendations. This article specifically uses the verbshallrather thanshould. The

    Agreement clearly states that for matters concerning food safety, those guidelines,standards or recommendations established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission arethe ones relevant for harmonisation. Since the Agreement quite centrally deals with theissue of consumer protection, it follows that countries are mandated to harmonise theirnational laws to Codex. In actual fact, countries can be even more restrictive than Codex,under the terms ofArticle 3, although such restriction needs to be scientifically justified.

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    Should there be a dispute over the effect of a countrys laws restricting trade or notadequately protecting consumers, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (WTODSB) can besummoned to arbitrate. This of course is something that powerful nations can entertain,while for smaller, developing countries, dependent on food trade, getting sucked into atrade dispute is likely only to end in tears.

    A good example of the consequences of a trade dispute managed through the WTODSBis the long-running case of the EU ban on imports of beef treated with artificial growthhormones in the US and Canada. The dispute costs the EU over $116 million annually insanctions paid to the US, with another $11m paid to Canada, and has now run for over 10years with still no resolution in sight.

    Compliance is the only real option unless your pockets are as deep as those of a powerfultrading bloc, such as the EU.

    The Bottom Line

    29th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

    (CCNFSDU), Bad Neuenahr, Germany, November 2007

    Given that Codex does not create laws but merely delivers guidelines, standards andrecommendations, its outputs are characterised as innocuous by many governments andcorporations that benefit from them. The reality is that most countries find they have nooption but to harmonise their laws to Codex as they are unable to face the sanctionsimposed on them by the WTODSB, the ultimate enforcer of Codexs rules governing theglobal food trade.

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    When it comes to us either being poisoned by pollutants or chemicals in our food, orhaving our fundamental rights and freedoms restricted by losing access to wholesome,natural foods and nutrients, it is of course not Codex itself that provides the legalinstrument that impacts us; it is the national and regional laws of countries. Thisdistancing of Codex from the law seems to allow Codex to escape direct culpabilitybut

    of course also makes its operation so insiduous.

    As the global food trade continues to expand and regional and local food productioncomes under increasing pressure from the biggest agricultural and food producers in theworld, Codex continues its work. In some cases, Codex guidelines and standards are builton existing legal templates, such as in the case of the Codex Guideline on Vitamin andMineral Food Supplements, which is modelled closely on the EU Food SupplementsDirective. Codex then allows this model to be exported internationally. In other cases,such as with GM foods, where the US legal model which presumes GM foods aresubstantially equivalent to conventional foods and therefore intrinsically safe isincreasingly acting as the international model relevant to biotechnology products.

    Although we can all engage with our governments to try to show them the short-sightedness of so much that they engage with within the committee rooms of Codex,probably our most powerful weapon is our ability to choose what we eat. While many ofus are still able to exercise freedom of choice, one of the most effective actions we cantake is to be selective in our choice of foods.

    We should, for example, support those food production systems that contribute positivelyto our health, while rejecting those that dont. We also have to ensure those around us and especially our children understand the importance of consumer power. Combinethis with targeted lobbying of governments and elected representatives and we could see

    fundamental change to our food supply, a change that has the ability to facilitate ourreturn to the foods to which our genes have adapted over millennia.

    Crunch Time

    Ironically, when it comes to Codexassessments of the safety of nutrients, they do takeinto account the nutrients consumed in the diet and substract these from the lowestamounts they consider safe using multiple safety factors and selective, worse-case

    scientific data. The end result? Codex-compliant food supplements containing diddlysquat of life-saving micronutrients.

    Dr Bruce Ames, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, and a Senior Scientist at Children's Hospital Oakland ResearchInstitute (CHORI), is one of many scientists who have long argued, on the basis of amplescientific evidence, that micronutrient deficiencies, associated with modern western diets,are one of the most important factors in the epidemic of chronic diseases. These diseases

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    include the Big 5: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis, which nowcontribute to the greatest burden on our healthcare systems. Codex, and regulatoryregimes based on it, undoubtedly present one of the greatest threats to any healthcaresystem which seeks to deal with the fundamental causes of disease by addressingmicronutrient intakes.

    Are you willing to let governments and corporations control what you put into yourbody? Or will you play your part in helping to reverse the trend towards the globalcontrol of our food supply and the dumbing down of natural medicines based on faulty,manipulated science. Thomas Jeffersons words must be allowed to ring loudly in ourheads as we effect these changes that are urgently needed to prevent any furtherdistancing between humans and our natural heritage. We must protect not only ourlifeblood but that of future generations.

    What can an individual do to influence codex?

    The short answer is that its extremely difficult to influence codex as an individualespecially within Europe. Even if you get the ear of the bureaucrats within your MemberState delegation, this delegation is just one of 27 in the EU that is largely represented by asingle European Commission bureaucrat. This is one of the reasons that its so importantfor concerned individuals in the EU to have an aligned view on what the problems are sothat influence over Member States Governments and the EC are in alignment.

    We would go one step further and argue that the difficulty in influencing codex is likelyto be the result of deliberately engineered decision-making process that prevents or at

    least greatly complicates individuals capacity to exert their democratic right.

    One of the key requisites in having influence is to ensure that complaints about Codex areboth accurate, and can be substantiated. There are many examples to show thatmisinformation on Codex has acted as a smoke screen to conceal genuine complaints, andthis enables politicians and bureaucrats to have a reason to reject peoples concerns. Toooften, weve had feedback from members of the public telling us that when they haveapproached their elective representative over their concerns about Codex they have beentold that their facts are wrong and that they have misunderstood the problems so there isnothing that can, or need, be done.

    Bearing this in mind we have the following advice:

    1) Inform yourself about Codex using reliable sources such us documentation availablefrom the official Codex website and our own site. Inaccurate information ordisinformation can be more damaging to the cause than no information

    2) Focus on the following issues

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    Codexs support for the global trade of simplified, nutritionally-inadequate,chemically-contaminated foods

    Codexs lack of support or interest in community based farming and food supplyinfrastructures which are known to offer high quality foods better adapted to localenvironments

    The increasing dumbing down of organic agricultural principles making themless environmentally sustainable while making them more amenable to large agri-businesses

    Codexs support for hazardous food technologies such as GMOs, chemicaladditives, pesticides and irradiation

    Codexs desire to limit beneficial and therapeutic nutrients delivered assupplements

    The acceptance of risk analysis principles that are fundamentally defectivescientifically when it comes to the consideration of nutrients, and foods withhealth benefits

    Codexs attempt to harmonise health claims using excessively onerous criteria to

    support claims which flies in the face of approaches that support the education ofconsumers in the field of healthy eating and nutritional supplementation Pressure from World Trade Organization (WTO) for countries to harmonise to

    Codex recommendations, guidelines or standards, or face sanctions which mightbe sufficient to cripplethe economy of smaller countries

    3) Communicate this information (above) to as many of your contacts as possible bothwithin, and outside your country

    4) Write to and/or meet with your elected representative and ensure s/he works on yourbehalf to influence your government

    5) Where possible work to influence representatives from the Codex delegation, theirnames and addresses being publicly available in the annual reports of individual CodexCommittee meetings

    6) Work to influence national laws such as those on GMOs, food additives, food safety,pesticide residues, organic farming, food supplements and health claims that are likely toinfluence the development of Codex guidelines and standards.

    In essence, some of the most influential laws are derived form the EU, the USA andCanada. This is therefore a call to citizens and food producers and suppliers from these 3countries to engage with the law making system to the maximum possible extent in thegenuine interest ofpublic health

    Key action steps

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    Political action: make sure you make your views known both about national andEuropean laws as well as Codex to your governments and electedrepresentatives. In the UK, this includes your Member of the European Parliamentand your MP.

    Consumer action: do not buy or eat processed foods, GM foods, or foodscontaining food additives wherever possible. Try to buy or cultivate organic foodsor foods to which pesticides have not been applied.

    Social action: make others aware of the risks posed to our food supply byEuropean and other national or regional laws and Codex. Stay informed and useonly reliable resources providing accurate information. Help your friends,relatives and other contacts to appreciate the risks of processed, GM andunnatural foods. Stress the importance of chemical-free, locally or regionallyproduced, whole foods in the diet.

    Recent meetings of the Codex Committee on Nutrition

    For information about the 31st Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foodsfor Special Dietary Uses CCNFSDU, to be held on 2-6 November 2009 in Dusseldorf,Germany, click here.

    For a report of the 30th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods forSpecial Dietary Uses - CCNFSDU, held on 3-7 November 2008 in South Africa,click

    here.

    For releases following 29th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition & Foods forSpecial Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), Bad Neuenahr, Germany, November 2007.Openingrelease.Closing release.

    For an ANH Codex exclusive on the lead up to the 28th Session of the Codex Committeeon Nutrition & Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), Chiang Mai, Thailand,November 2006, click here.

    For release following 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition & Foods for

    Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), Bonn, Germany, November 2005, click here .

    Codex Committee on Nutrition - official information

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    25th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses(CCNFSDU) 2003, Germany

    Inform yourself! Find out what the Codex Committee on Nutrition & Foods for SpecialDietary Uses (CCNFSDU) says about itself:

    For the official CCNFSDU website, click here.

    For images of previous sessions, click here.

    If you want to find out what the official line on the Codex Committee on Nutrition &Foods for Special Dietary Uses is, you may be lucky enough to get yourself a copy of theofficial video about the CCNFSDU's activities produced by the German government andscreened at the 2006 Committee meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We had a link to thevideo which was in turn being streamed through a link on the www.ccnfsdu.de">www.ccnfsdu.de website, but unfortunately, shortly after we linked to this, the link wastaken down. We are aware of a number of people who have successfully obtained a copyof the video direct from the CCNFSDU after emailing [email protected].

    The video includes an interview with Dr Rolf Grossklaus, who heads up the Committee.

    Multimedia

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    - Following are three video clips created by BBC5tvthat were filmed immediatelyfollowing Dr Robert Verkerk's presentation on Codex at theAlternative View 2008conference in Totnes, UK, April 2008

    Part 1 of Interview (what is Codex? etc)

    Part 2 of interview (organic foods, natural vs synthetic, etc)

    Part 3 of interview (vaccination, food irradiation, Monsanto, etc)

    - To view Kevin Miller's 2005 documentary on Codex, We Become Silent,click here.

    "If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their

    bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live undertyranny."Thomas Jefferson (1762-1821), Third President of the USA, author of theDeclaration of Independence.

    - To view the official Codex video clickhere

    Further Reading

    - To read the latest article by Dr Robert Verkerk for Caduceus magazine (July 09)titled"Codex Alimentarius - Focus on true threats, not disinformation"clickherefor apdf of the article orhereto read the article within the online version of the magazine.

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    - To read Dr Verkerk's article outlining the misinformation circulating about Codex clickhere.

    Download ANH's one-page flyer

    To download ANH's one-page summary flyer of Codex, click hereprint it, email ithelp educate your friends and contacts about the long-term risk of the Codex slowcooker. It is, in part, its long drawn out timescales for the development and guidelinesand standards that makes Codex Alimentarius guidelines and standards so problematic.

    Related pages

    What is Codex?The Codex/EU law linkEU and Codex want therapeutic dosages of foodsupplements outlawedThe Codex Guideline on Vitamin and Mineral Food SupplementsThe Codex Guideline on Vitamin and Mineral Food SupplementsWho can afford to notdance the Codex tango?Pre-history

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