Thursday, January 23, 2003

US Urged by Natural Solutions Foundation to Alter Codex Course, Support WHO Global Strategy to End World Hunger, Promote World Health

US Urged by Natural Solutions Foundation to Alter Codex Course, Support WHO Global Strategy to End World Hunger, Promote World Health

The Natural Solutions Foundation is urging the US to support the strongly pro-health direction of WHO (the World Health Organization)which has directed Codex to become active in promoting health for the first time in Codex history. The US is highly influential in Codex. Focusing Codex on consumer well-being would allow the US to join the emerging pro-health coalition of national members of Codex, a much needed change in direction for the United States. The Natural Solutions Foundation believes this change of direction would be a positive move for the US and could improve the image of the United States in the international community.

Croton on Hudson, NY (PRWEB) October 10, 2006

The United States has a rare opportunity to reach out to the consumers of the planet by assuming leadership in the implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO)Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health (http://www. who. int/dietphysicalactivity/en/)(GS (http://www. who. int/dietphysicalactivity/en/)(GS)), the Natural Solutions Foundation said in formal comments submitted to the US Codex Office and FSIS system for Codex policy comments (docket FSIS-2006-0023).

The Natural Solutions Foundation (http://www. HealthFreedomUSA. org (http://www. HealthFreedomUSA. org)) is a global leader in natural health and health freedom. They have taken an international leadership role and are actively engaged in international education and the enhancement of international policy-making opportunities to support global consumer health and health choices. The Foundation participates in Codex meetings and global liaison: it has developed international ties focusing on moving Codex toward the same pro-health focus that it is urging the US to adopt to correct the United States/Codex' over-emphasis on trade and corporate policies rather than health despite the Codex mandate which includes "protecting the health of consumers". (http://www. codexalimentarius. net/web/index_en. jsp (http://www. codexalimentarius. net/web/index_en. jsp)).

The next public opportunity the US will have to put its considerable strength behind the concept of health, rather than trade, within the Codex context is the 28th session of the CCNFSDU (Codex Committee on Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses, October 30-November 3, 2006,Chiang Mai, Thailand). Both CCNFSDU and CCFL (Codex Committee on Food Labeling) are tasked with providing direction to Codex in the implementation of the GS. Natural Solutions Foundation's comments on implementation of the GS urges the US to join South Africa and other pro-health countries to use the power of the US strength in Codex, the international food standard setting body, to shift the balance toward health.

WHO offered Codex the opportunity to rectify its lack of positive impact on human health and its focus on trade in preference to health when it pointed Codex toward implementation of its Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health during the 28th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (July 4-9, 2005, Rome, Italy). Several representatives of Codex' parent organizations, WHO and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), chastised Codex for "failing to make a contribution to human health" (http://press. arrivenet. com/health/article. php/669453.html (http://press. arrivenet. com/health/article. php/669453.html)) since its inception in 1963, including Dr. Kirsten Leitner, WHO Under-Secretary for Sustainable Development. Dr. Jorgen Schlundt, another WHO representative, reacted to the comments of the evaluation of a joint WHO/FAO 2002 Consultation "...when the outcome of the Codex evaluation came out, and when the discussions were there in the World Health Assembly, there was a clear direction that we need to do more for human health through the Codex mechanism."

WHO and FAO strongly recommended that Codex redress the imbalance by implementing the pro-health GS and told Codex that it would expect instructions on how to do that from CCFL and CCNFSDU at the 29th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). That guidance was not forthcoming and the process was to be repeated awaiting the 30th session of the CAC (July 2 - 7, 2007). Natural Solutions Foundation believes that the US policies and pressures in Codex focus on trade to the detriment of health. Few countries have the technical, economic or infrastructure to do as much good in this area as the United States, notes the Natural Solutions Foundation which is why US policy can directly help Codex meet its WHO/FAO initiated need to "do more for human health."

Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL) and Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods For Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) are the only Codex committees which "have a relationship to nutrition" and were therefore asked to develop a program for GS implementation. Although directed to provide guidance for Codex action and implementation of the GS, CCNFSDU failed to provide time for meaningful discussion at its 27th session (Bonn, Germany, November 21015, 2005). At CCFL (May 1-5, 2006, Ottawa, Canada), South Africa's comments (http://www. prweb. com/releases/2006/5/prweb381188.htm (http://www. prweb. com/releases/2006/5/prweb381188.htm)), including the explicit affirmation of "optimal health" as a goal for Codex and a ban on the marketing of Junk Foods to children 18 and younger, were assented to by most of the countries present.

The US, however, took specific exception to both "optimal health as a goal for Codex" and any prohibition on marketing junk foods to children although they are known to cause disease and shorten life span when consumed by children. In fact, WHO has taken a strong position against marketing junk food to children (http://www. who. int/nutrition/topics/dietnutrition_and_chronicdiseases/en/ (http://www. who. int/nutrition/topics/dietnutrition_and_chronicdiseases/en/)). The US made no verbal or written public objection to the other 9 provisions of the 11 principles presented by South Africa.

Codex Alimentarius Commission acts as the world's food standards setting body by creating standards and guidelines to govern international trade through ratifications of standards and guidelines ("texts"). Trade disputes between nations are settled by the World Trade Organization (WTO) which can impose substantial trade sanctions on non compliant countries unless they have protected their rights to enforce their own health standards domestically and through international trade by using the "Codex 2 Step" (http://www. healthfreedomusa. org/resources/books. shtml (http://www. healthfreedomusa. org/resources/books. shtml)).

Although Codex texts are voluntary and advisory (ftp://ftp. fao. org/codex/Alinorm06/al29_41e. pdf (http://ftp://ftp. fao. org/codex/Alinorm06/al29_41e. pdf)),(paragraph 24, p. 4) lack of compliance with Codex texts can result in punishing WTO sanctions. For that reason, the Natural Solutions Foundation, working with the Citizens for Health Codex Working Group has developed a template for correction of dangerous Codex texts which allow countries to protect their populations from adulterated or unwholesome food, protect natural health options and avoid crippling WTO trade sanctions referred to as the "Codex 2 Step (c)". The Natural Solutions Foundation has been actively building an international coalition of pro-health countries who can use this technique to prevent world hunger and promote world health. Organizing the application of these techniques, the Natural Solutions Foundation has initiated the International Decade of Nutrition (http://www. prweb. com/releases/2006/9/prweb432432.htm (http://www. prweb. com/releases/2006/9/prweb432432.htm)) to accomplish these goals on a global scale.

The US position opposing optimal health (http://www. prweb. com/releases/2006/5/prweb381188.htm (http://www. prweb. com/releases/2006/5/prweb381188.htm)) stands in stark contrast to the pro-health principles which the US espouses domestically and internationally. By supporting the forward-looking, pro-health principles for the implementation of the GS presented by South Africa at the 34th session of CCFL (May 1-5, 2006, Ottawa, Canada), the US would take a major step in reversing its role in promoting and supporting the dangerous, illness promoting imbalance between Codex' mandate for "protecting health of the consumers" (http://www. codexalimentarius. net/web/index_en. jsp (http://www. codexalimentarius. net/web/index_en. jsp)) and its mandate for ensuring "fair trade practices in the food trade". This change of direction in US policy is supported by the Natural Solutions Foundation Medical Director, Rima E. Laibow, MD and its President, Major General Albert N. Stubblebine III (US Army, Ret.)both in their verbal remarks in the US Codex Office public meeting held by the US Codex Office (September 13, 2006, Frank Wiley Building, Bethesda, MD) to allow input in US policy for the up-coming CCNFSDU meeting and in the formal comments presented during the written comment period for the same purpose.

Natural Solutions Foundation also submitted comments during this comment period which are critical of US support for the proposed addition of fluoride, a known multi-system toxin and dangerous industrial waste product, to infant formula. Codex' standards and guideline (texts), which govern international trade of food, allow dangerously high levels of many biologically active, toxic compounds (e. g., reintroduction of banned dangerous pesticides, veterinary drugs and synthetic growth hormones) and production techniques which are favored by industry interests. Consumer health and well-being is often significantly compromised by these texts.

For more information, please contact the Natural Solutions Foundation (http://www. healthfreedomusa. org (http://www. healthfreedomusa. org))

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