Media Release

50 international scientists, physicians and associated health practitioners are calling upon Canada's Health Minister to reconsider its plan to amend the Food and Drugs Act (Bill C-51).

TORONTO, May 5 /CNW/ - For several years now there has been an effort on the part of the WHO and the WTO to bring in a common international standard for health products. In 2009 signatory states, like Canada, are obliged to adopt standards and guidelines that were laid down by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Sections of Bill C-51 (section 30, paragraphs 7 - 9) (*) will enable Health Canada to implement the Codex within Canada without adequate public consultation. The amendments could restrict the level of dosage available in nutritional supplements to questionable low levels. Dosages above a certain as yet unknown threshold could require a prescription from a physician. Of course, this could result in a diminution of choices available to Canadians as compared to today.

Under the guise of protecting the public's safety, the proposed bill could allow for the introduction of restrictive regulations that would likely fall below "the radar" of sufficient public scrutiny. One such is bringing nutritional products and pharmaceutical drugs together under a common regulatory term "therapeutic products".

"In other words: If it isn't a food, it is a therapeutic product and will be treated like a drug," said UK physician Damien Downing, the medical director of the Alliance for Natural Health in the European Union.

(*) (7) A regulation may incorporate by reference documents produced by a person or body - other than the Minister or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency - including (a) an organization established for the purpose of writing standards, including an organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada;
(b) an industrial or trade organization; or
(c) a government.

(8) A regulation may incorporate by reference documents that the Minister reproduces or translates from documents produced by a person or body other than the Minister or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (a) with any adaptations of form or reference that would facilitate their incorporation into the regulation; or (b) in a form that sets out only the parts of them that apply for the purposes of the regulation.

(9) A regulation may incorporate by reference documents that the Minister or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency produces jointly with another government for the purpose of harmonizing the regulation with other laws.

For further information: Steven Carter, phone: (416) 733-2117, centre@orthomed.org
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICINE

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