IAHF Webmaster: Breaking News, Whats New, What to Do, All Countries
IAHF List: I just received this urgent update from Rob Verkerk from the Alliance for Natural Health. Please forward it massively and help us communicate this message to all the vitamin companies you buy products from. Show this to your local health food store. This is a true grass roots effort and no one can count on the proverbial "next guy" to do their fair share of this work. Its very simple: ANH gets the support they need to file this lawsuit, or we all sink together and we're running out of time- we have only til the end of this MONTH.
Please help circulate article widely to US dietary supplement companies
We have uploaded on to the homepage of the ANH website an article that provides reasons why US dietary supplement companies, if they are interested in guarding their long-term futures, should get behind and support the proposed Alliance for Natural Health lawsuit against the EU Food Supplements Directive.
You can find the article easily by clicking on the link next to the US flag on the right side of the ANH homepage.
Spin against the ANH lawsuit
Many US companies are confused on how to act in relation to this issue. They are being advised by some major industry associations that the EU Directive will be beneficial overallfor those companies trading in Europe and they should have nothing to fear, as there is no way US laws can be harmonised with EU, Codex or WTO.
But as so aptly put by US attorney and supplement expert Ralph Fucetola (see ANH Latest News item, 29 Aug 03), the verbiage of the FDA Modernization Act that is proposed to protect US companies is so weak that it can easily be overruled.
As a result, many companies are effectively sitting on the fence. Let consumer pressure help them understand what they should do! If the challenge is not initiated by next month at the latest & the battle will be over and it will be almost impossible to challenge the EU Food Supplements Directive in the future. It is do-or-die time & quite literally!
Help US companies to become proactive
Please make contact with your supplement suppliers and ask them to give you reasons for their course of action on the EU Directives issue. Help them to appreciate the importance and advantages of acting now and being among the key players to support the ANH lawsuit (see Support Base on ANH website).
One UScompany has pledged US$150,000 on the condition letters of intent can be gathered from other companies to help towards the expected US$650,000 total cost for both phases of the action (High Court, London and European Court of Justice, Luxembourg).
Let them know that we can facilitate discussions with US company executives who have evaluated the issue of the EU Directives in great detail over a number of years, and have decided categorically that the ANH approach isof paramount to their long-term viability and success.
Please help US companies to prepare and send us their letters of intent. Corporate pledges of even US$10,000 per company could go a long way to meeting the costs. It is worth remembering that the campaign surrounding DSHEA in 1994 ended up costing in the region of US$4 million!
Help to spread the word NOW!
It is essential that the issues surrounding the EU Directive are publicized as widely as possible. The directive, if unchallenged, will bring about bans on more than 5000 safe and effective products in Europe. Many of these are produced by US companies. The products that get hit hardest are those that are based on food-form nutrients rather than on synthetic or inorganic nutrients, which sail through the legislation when delivered in low doses.
Please circulate the ANH flyer available as a download on the ANH website, as well as any other documents you might consider relevant.
Without your help the ANH lawsuit cannot be brought
Please consider donating monthly if you are able. Without your support we will be unable to bring the legal action.
Donations can be made direct on the website by card, or they can be sent direct to the ANH bank account (which is best for the campaign as it avoids transaction charges):
Alliance for Natural Health
Natwest Bank plc
Guildford High Street
Sort code: 60-09-21
Account: 12765309
Swift code (for transactions outside the UK): NWB KGB 2L
Thank you once again for your support!!
Robert Verkerk BSc, MSc, DIC, PhD
Executive Director
Alliance for Natural Health
Email: info@alliance-natural-health.org
Web: www.alliance-natural-health.org
International Advocates for Health Freedom
POB 10632 Blacksburg VA 24062 USA
http://www.iahf.com; http://iadsa-exposed.tripod.com
800-333-2553 N.America
540-961-0476 World 