see

[badriya]

http://ravenrigan.livejournal.com/

From 31st December 2009 the government intend to adopt the Codex Alimentarius, which could be used to make all vitamins, herbal preparations and supplements available on prescription only, from your GP!!!.

Comments

[zotz]

I've seen some fairly alarmist coments about it, but that's the best yet.

In general, it recommends (but doesn't impose - it has no legal force) governments have safety, packaging and labelling standards. The broad thrust of the several standards I've read is that whatever's sold packaged for human consumption should be clearly and accurately labelled with what's in it, and have been prepared hygenically. They're all up online, so you can go and read thewm if you want. I'll warn you, though, that they're very very boring.

[badriya]

I have to admit I haven't read them and just assumed this was true, that we'd not be able to buy alternative remedies.

[zotz]

Sadly, a lot of people are saying this. The Codex does already have a document with recommendations for vitamin and mineral supplements - it's here - and it's boring stuff about labelling and amounts and proper packaging.

The Codex would, in fact, never have recommendations about substances sold as medicines, traditional or otherwise, because it is only concerned with products sold as food. Hence the name.

There have been changes to the law concerning herbal medicines in the last few years, but they weren't to do with the Codex and as far as I know didn't much affect availability because anything that's been used and sold for some years got a fast-track permit.