Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Sen Harkin says "DSHEA governs, not Codex"

Earlier today the US Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin met to "mark-up" the (sic) "Food Safety" bill, S.510. While offering lip service to public concerns about protecting family farms and organics, the Chairman made some interesting comments about Codex and DSHEA:

Link to the 11/18/09 HELP Committee “mark-up meeting” –
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_11_18_E/2009_11_18_E.html

HELP Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin confirmed (about minute 58.5) that Codex Alimentarius (the so-called World Food Code) does not trump the Dietary Supplement Health and Safety Education Act of 1994 (the law that allows the USA to have the most potent nutrients and most vibrant nutrient market in the world) “DSHEA … governs the law here, not Codex standards…”

Chairmen Harkin further stated: the provision in bill that requires FDA to “make recommendations including whether and how to harmonize with Codex does not signal any intent to move in a different direction on DSHEA…”

We are waiting to read the “marked-up bill” to find out if it will in fact protect family farms and organic agriculture. The version of the bill that I reviewed had weaker protections than even the House-passed version.

Only time will tell the value of the Senator’s soothing words about DSHEA.

More about the fake Food Safety Bill here:
http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=4014

And about the version that passed the House in July:
http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=3197

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

As an Iowan, trusting the words from Sen Harkin's should cause for pause. Rumor has it he may be more of a advocate of big corporate ag business with the likes of Monsanto, Tyson, etc. and doing their wishes. One needs to watch him and "keep him as honest as possible."

Unknown said...

God bless Senator Harkin.

Unknown said...

God bless Senator Harkin