The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) has spoken out against allegedly false statements vilifying the goals, purpose and transparency of Codex Alimentarius’ work on food supplements.

IADSA, which has been monitoring the work of Codex for the last 10 years, said that the statements circulating the internet in recent weeks have “absolutely no factual basis at all.”

These false statements range from claims that Codex plans to make supplements ‘prescription only’ products, to confusion about the legally binding nature of its guidelines and standards, and claims questioning the transparency of its meetings and procedures.

“There are currently false statements being circulated in a number of countries claiming that the activities of Codex Alimentarius will have a negative impact on food supplements. One of these statements, for example, is that it plans to make supplements available by prescription only. This is completely untrue,” explained Byron Johnson, chairman of IADSA. “Just four years ago, Codex adopted a guideline for vitamin and mineral supplements, which clearly placed supplements under food law. Codex bases its guidelines and standards on the latest available scientific knowledge gathered from experts across the world.

“All guidelines and standards adopted by Codex are voluntary; however, many governments can and do implement these standards since they bring their laws into line with international practice,” he added.

Codex Alimentarius is jointly run by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organization. Since its establishment in 1963, it has played a role in the development of food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.

Kyowa Hakko USA (New York, NY), the wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd. and global manufacturer of health ingredients for use in dietary supplements, conventional and functional foods, cosmetic, industrial and pharmaceutical industries, has announced it is celebrating its 40th anniversary in the United States.

Internationally, Kyowa holds 92 US patents with a total of 433 worldwide. The company has invested in three research laboratories employing more than 150 staff members and four manufacturing facilities located in the US, Japan and China. With eight overseas offices strategically located throughout the world, Kyowa conducts business in over 80 countries.

Kyowa Hakko USA, with offices located in New York and California, offers manufacturers and formulators over 50 amino acids and related compounds, including D-Amino acids and branched-chain amino acids, as well as nucleic acids, bio-products and fine chemicals. The company is a US FDA inspected manufacturer, and the vast majority of the products are kosher with the “Circle K” approval.

For more information, visit www.kyowa-usa.com or call (212) 319-5353.