—Consumers, Manufacturers Will Benefit—

ROME, July 5, 2005 – The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) yesterday declared vitamin independence worldwide from arbitrarily-set standards for supplement upper levels by approving and adopting the Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplement Guideline during the meeting of the CAC in Rome.

The result of a multi-year effort led in part by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), one of the leading trade associations for the dietary supplement industry, adoption of the guideline means the acceptance of science as a rational approach, the freedom of trade for the industry, and the increased freedom of choice for the public.

The guideline specifies that maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in supplement products in international trade are to be set on the basis of safety evaluation through risk assessment, and not on the basis of recommended dietary allowances (RDA).  The population reference intakes (PRI) and RDAs are based on nutritional need, and are not scientifically valid for assessing safety and setting maximums. 

CRN’s analysis is that the guideline should improve the international market for U.S.-made products, and contrary to the notions of some alarmists, the guideline cannot override DSHEA for U.S. domestic policy.

CRN’s Chair of the International Trade and Market Development Committee, Mark LeDoux, noted, “What we now have is a pathway to expand global access for consumers of dietary supplements that is predicated on science.  Our next steps will be to secure upper level guidelines that will assure safe and adequate outcomes for consumers and that are determined in an open and transparent process.”

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices.

Contact:
Judy Blatman
202-204-7962