- Thomas Jefferson (1762-1821), Third President of the USA, author of the Declaration of Independence.
What is Codex Alimentarius?
An organisation with over 170 member countries created in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to develop food standards and set the international standards for the food trade. Work is conducted through nearly 30 committees, task forces and expert groups which deal with nearly every facet of food production. Codex's remit covers almost all areas of the food supply, ranging from cereals, cocoa, dairy, meat, meat hygiene, sugars and fresh fruit and vegetables to more controversial issues such as food labelling, food additives, contaminants in food, pesticide residues and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Why the controversy?
There are many rumors circulating and a number of Codex's proposals have been exagerated as many believe that it often uses criteria that are manipulated to support the interests of the world's largest corporations. For example by removing our right to buy vitamins and minerals pharmaceutical industries can make millions by selling them via prescription. Although this rumour is not true like a majority of these rumors in circulation it does have an element of truth. Codex is trying to ban some supplements because of their dosage or contents so that every country follows the same guidelines. For example in Germany the highest dose of Vitamin C you can buy is 225mg and in the UK it is 1000mg
Under specific headings, some of the most important issues which Codex affects that impact our ability to manage our health naturally are:
GENETICALLY-MODIFIED FOOD:
PESTICIDE RESIDUES
What can you do about it?
An organisation with over 170 member countries created in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to develop food standards and set the international standards for the food trade. Work is conducted through nearly 30 committees, task forces and expert groups which deal with nearly every facet of food production. Codex's remit covers almost all areas of the food supply, ranging from cereals, cocoa, dairy, meat, meat hygiene, sugars and fresh fruit and vegetables to more controversial issues such as food labelling, food additives, contaminants in food, pesticide residues and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Why the controversy?
There are many rumors circulating and a number of Codex's proposals have been exagerated as many believe that it often uses criteria that are manipulated to support the interests of the world's largest corporations. For example by removing our right to buy vitamins and minerals pharmaceutical industries can make millions by selling them via prescription. Although this rumour is not true like a majority of these rumors in circulation it does have an element of truth. Codex is trying to ban some supplements because of their dosage or contents so that every country follows the same guidelines. For example in Germany the highest dose of Vitamin C you can buy is 225mg and in the UK it is 1000mg
Under specific headings, some of the most important issues which Codex affects that impact our ability to manage our health naturally are:
GENETICALLY-MODIFIED FOOD:
- they argue that world food requirements cannot be met without global implementation of GM foods.
- GM food plants are being given the green light on safety.
- 'Terminator' seeds could be approved
- GM food animals are on their way
- 'Dumbing-down' of organic standards
- the promotion of large-scale, high input agriculture and international freight
- use of various chemical additives and 'processing aids' in organic foods
- No outright ban on use of irradiation post production
- Labelling that allows use of hidden ingredients
- Setting very low maximum daily doses for supplements as foods using flawed risk assessment methods
- Effectively establishing international borderline for nutrients between foods and drugs, forcing therapeutic nutrients into drug category
- Requirement for clinical trials to substantiate health claims, too expensive for small companies. Therefore provides passport system for big corporations and acts as obstacle to freedom of speech for smaller ones.
- Setting of unnecessarily low Nutirnet Reference Values which seriously understate requirements for long-term optimum health for given sub-populations, age groups and genders.
- Approval as safe around 300 different food additives (mainly synthetic) including aspartame, BHA, BHT, potassium bromate, tartrazine, etc
- No consideration given to the potential risks associated with long-term exposure to mixtures of additives
PESTICIDE RESIDUES
- Allows significant residues of over 3275 different pesticides, including those that are suspected carcinogens or endocrine disruptors, e.g. 2, 4-D, atrazine, methyl bromide
- No account taken of long-term effects of exposure to mixtures of residues in food
What can you do about it?
- Make your views known - lobby your local MP and local MEP click here to find out more about your local MEP.
- Try not to buy or eat processed, GM foods or foods containing food additives wherever possible. Try to buy or cultivate organic foods or foods to which pesticides have not been applied.
- Make others aware. Stress the importance of chemical-free, locally or regionally produced, whole foods in the diet to your friends and family.
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