Protect Your Supplement Access –Alliance for Natural Health Seeks comments to the FDA

The FDA has drafted new regulatory guidelines that would increase barriers for supplement manufacturers,and re-classifies all supplements used since 1994 (perfect safety records notwithstanding) as “new”and inherently unsafe”–banning them until they receive re-approval.

The FDA needs be convinced to label GE foods,but they are moving hard against natural supplemental medicine. This seems to be a consequence of pharmaceutical and agribusiness lobbies overly involved in our federal regulatory oversight policy.

The Alliance for Natural Health is a consumer-based non-profit,whose mission is to ensure your right to choose the healthcare approaches that are best for you and your family –healthcare that is holistic,natural,integrative,sustainable,and preventive.

Your comment will go to Sens. Murray and Cantwell,Rep Rick Larsen,and the FDA.

Here’s an excerpt from the closing paragraphs of the sample comment,which is worth reading in its entirety for better explanation of the deep concerns raised by the FDA draft guidance:(Use this link to reach the comments page and take a couple of minutes to help protect your supplement access)

“The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 states that “the Federal Government should not take any actions to impose unreasonable regulatory barriers limiting or slowing the flow of safe products and accurate information to consumers.”It says that Congress finds that “dietary supplements are safe within a broad range of intake,and safety problems with the supplements are relatively rare.”And it says that “legislative action that protects the right of access of consumers to safe dietary supplements is necessary in order to promote wellness.”

The guidance may also have far-reaching consequences. For example,if Sen. Durbin’s dangerous Dietary Supplement Labeling Act goes forward,with the list of “safe”supplements and doses which FDA and IOM would draw up under the bill —such as vitamin D in amounts greater than 4000 IU —it would mean that more therapeutic doses or supplement preparations could never meet the new NDI hurdle. This could have a profoundly negative impact on this nation’s health.

The FDA draft guidance does the exact opposite of what Congress intended. It imposes unreasonable barriers that limit and slow the flow of safe products and accurate information to consumers. I call upon Congress to uphold the landmark legislation it passed seventeen years ago. I request that the FDA carefully review the draft guidance,and unless amended to reflect DSHEA (and Congress’s) stated values and goals,I request that Congress hold hearings to review FDA’s behavior at the close of the draft review process. ”

Here’s what I wrote to kick off my comment:

“Greetings,
As the Outreach Coordinator for a natural foods grocery store,I am strongly concerned about the direction our federal regulatory policy is going. Please get out of the pockets of pharmaceutical and agribusiness lobbies. You are vested with the responsibility to steer our food and health system responsibly. Please be human beings who care about other human beings.

We have developed a successful business model,based upon meeting a basic consumer need:informed choice,about food and supplements. In the words of one of my co-workers,“please. get more awesome soon. The people want to trust you.”

What follows are not my words,but I agree with them.”…