May Day about the Codex Alimentarius

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has been jointly established by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and The World Health Organization (WHO) as an instrument for international cooperation in the field of Food and Agriculture.

After applying for observer status May Day was invited by the Danish Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the Spring of 2000 to participate as an observer at the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) meetings, mostly in Germany. 

This observer status has given us access to more closely follow the work within the Codex, as it has given us the opportunity to meet new international health-freedom colleagues, with whom we exchange information and insights into the complex world of international global health legislation.

May Day is skeptical about these meetings that are subordinate of the WHO and FAO discussing food recommendations, mostly leading to the inspiration for several EU directives concerning nutrients, because:

• The Codex Alimentarius Commission - a gathering of non-elected government bureaucrats from many countries - has a huge impact on the World's food laws.
• Real consumer organizations are very poorly represented at these meetings
• Codex is highly centralized and driven from the top down by an elite
• Codex is creating food recommendations that often turn out to be more restrictive regulations on health promoting substances such as dietary supplements
• Under the pretence of promoting free trade, the Codex Commission really seem to be blocking it - especially when it comes to free trade in dietary supplements (and herbs)
• Codex works to create global standards called "harmonization," which seldom honors the diversity of needs and interests of the World's many different peoples and biological types
• The Codex meetings are generally not open to the public
• International and national media have been told to not show any interest in this forum, therefore:
• The Codex meetings are not discussed publicly in the media, which is why:
• Far too few people have actually heard of the existence and work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Since June 2000, May Day has participated as an observer at the annual Codex Committe meetings in Berlin/Bonn, Germany - from November 2002 also working closely together with British and American colleagues from the National Health Federation

Articles

• 2007: Codex Moves Closer To EU Blueprint - By Scott Tips
• 2006: Codex Puts Industry Interests Before Consumers - Again! - By NHF delegation
• 2006: NHF Report Codex Committee for Food Labelling - By Scott Tips
• 2004: Codex Alimentarius - A threat to your vitamin supplements? - By Paul A. Taylor
• 2004: Codex Guidelines for Vitamins and Minerals - By Paul A. Taylor
• 2000: May Day as Observer of Codex Alimentarius - By T. T. Mosegaard
• We Become Silent - link to introduction and video

Links

American Holistic Health Association's Codex Alimentarius website
www.codexinfo.org

The National Health Federation - Codex Affairs

Codex Alimentarius Commission - Official website
www.codexalimentarius.net