In Canada we are witnessing the total raping of our health freedoms. We now have the consumer product safety act (Bill C-36) as a law. Which does not effect Natural Health Products itself, but it opens the door to allow the Canadian government to adopt foreign laws and foreign trading block's regulations on basically all products (including NHP's), without parliamentary scrutiny.

Health Canada is using unrealistic licensing standards on NHP's. For example, parsley in capsule form was not given it’s NPN because the manufacturer could not provide safety studies. Parsley is a herb that has been used for thousands of years. Think about it! When was the last time your heard of someone dieing from parsley (fresh or in a capsule)? Over 20,000 NHP's since 2004 have been not been licensed, because of absurdity like this!

But at the same time Health Canada is loosening the regulations on pharmaceuticals.

Here is a clip from a recent article I read from the Ottawa Citizen.

"What kind of "modernizations" should we expect to emerge from Health Canada's artfully stage-managed "technical consultations"? First and perhaps most important could be a shift of the burden of proof. The "precautionary principle" would be scrapped if drug companies had their way. So, instead of the drug industry having to prove that its products are (comparatively) safe before they can be licensed, new products would be presumed to be safe unless critics can prove that they are more harmful than beneficial."
Source

That's right you do not get to choose what you put into your body Canadians! NHP manufactures must prove that herbs that have been in use for hundreds if not thousands of years are safe. But big pharma companies do not have to prove the safety of their synthetic products. Oh no a critic must prove that they are not safe, AFTER they have been given out to who knows how many Canadian people.

This is only the tip of a very large iceberg in Canada. But it is not only happening here.

In America Bill S510 (HR 2751) has passed. All of the provisions, restrictions and requirements of this law, would apply to small farmers and small food producers (think farmer’s market, fruit, veggies, jam, pie, nuts, eggs, and yes herbs). Simply cutting off the herb production of the country.

Many of you have probably heard about the European Union Banning many Chinese and Indian Herbs. The AHN has been standing up against this mandate. Here is what they have to say about it:

"The date—ironically April Fool’s Day 2011—represents one day after the end of the transition phase of the EU Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD). The THMPD exists as a sub-Directive of the Human Medicinal Products Directive, and was originally intended to be a fast-track licensing system for a wide variety of traditional herbal products, including those of non-European origin. These include the super-traditions of Ayurveda, associated with the Indian subcontinent and that of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Both are of more than 4,000 years standing. The directive was originally implemented in 2004, but the lengthy 7-year transition period has lulled many into thinking that the April 2011 date marks the implementation of a new directive. This is not the case."

"What are the facts about THMPD?

* 31st March 2011 marks the end of the 7-year transition phase of the THMPD
* The directive requires that the same type of pharmaceutical standards applied to conventional, synthetic drugs are applied to complex, polyherbal products
* A range of eligibility and technical problems, along with prohibitive costs, have, so far, prevented any products from either the Chinese or Indian traditions from successfully being registered under the scheme"

Source

This shows that in Canada, America, and in the European Union the attack on NHP's is kicking into gear. Not by flat out banning them. Because it is well known that, an action like that would not be tolerated by the people. So the tactic seems to be the slow and methodical elimination of these products, through licensing regulations.

Testing and proving the safety of NHP's apparently can cost upwards of US $100,000.
For small to medium sized manufacturers this is devastating! But to the large companies it is tolerable. Unfortunately the large companies seem to be the ones complying with big pharma. By using genetically modified ingredients, and other synthetics produced in the pharmaceutical industry.

The small guys in our communities are being "licensed" out of business, because they refuse to comply. They refuse to keel over in the presence of big pharma.

They have looked out for us, and our health for a long time now. It is time that we return the favor! We now need to not comply right along with them! DO NOT buy from the major NHP companies. Instead look for the smaller, and more local products.

It is estimated that over 10,000 Canadians die every year from pharmaceuticals. Do you think the number of deaths caused by NHP's comes anywhere even close to that?

We are the gears of this machine, and we decide when it stops!

The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), Canada’s largest national trade association dedicated to the natural health industry.

The association represents manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, growers and importers of natural and organic products, including foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal products, homeopathics, sports nutrition products, fibres and health and beauty aids.

With a membership of over 1,000+ business owners and operators, CHFA represents an industry that contributes $3.5 billion to the Canadian economy.

The CHFA is the official voice of the natural health industry from the grassroots to the Hill. We work to make certain the industry is heard when legislation is being drafted. We also provide our members with great networking opportunities, like our annual trade shows.
http://www.chfa.ca/

The CHFA also plays a key role in Nutri-Net Canada.
A collaborative initiative among industry and trade associations, institutions and provincial government organizations, aims to promote the development of a knowledge-based, value-added industry dedicated to improving the nutrition, health and well-being of Canadians.
Led by the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), Nutri-Net Canada will oversee and coordinate a series of studies and conferences in 2007/2008 as an input to the development of national functional food/natural health product (FFNHP) sector strategy. The strategy will define the scope of the industry, outline short and long term goals and how to achieve them, increase the participation of the traditional food industry, and increase the participation of the health community.
www.nutrinetcanada-nnc.ca

All of which sounds great! Until you do a little digging. The Canadian government has been vigorously attacking the NHP market place. Between proposing (and passing) draconian laws and licensing procedures. Right down to Health Canada and the RCMP conducting armed raids on the homes of naturopathic doctors. Like in the case of Dr. Eldon Dahl, whose home was raided over things like folic acid, in 2009. So one would assume that a group like the CHFA would not be in Health Canada's good books.

But that is not the case. The Canadian government is funding the CHFA and the Nutri-Net Canada program. In 2007 a press release was released from the government titled: CANADA’S NEW GOVERNMENT INVESTS $721,000 IN NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS
Source

And from estimates this funding has now reached over 2 million dollars.

The CHFA and the Nutri-Net program are being used to to encourage and facilitate regulatory compliance of Bill C-51 (which eventually became Bill C-36 and became the law known as the consumer product safety act).

They are also trying to "slow Bleed" the NHP industry with the new licensing programs that Health Canada aims to implement in 2011. The original start date was set to be March 1 2011. A number of PAC members felt that the end of the Compliance and Enforcement promotion period should be June 1, 2011, for manufacturers, importers, packagers and labellers (vs. the previous March 1, 2011 date)and December 1, 2011 for retailers and distributors (vs. the previous September 1, 2011 date).

The CHFA does not support these dates. The CHFA suggestes that August 1, 2011 for manufacturers, importers, packagers and labellers and February 1, 2012 for retailers and distributors would be more appropriate. Rather than opposing these actions from the Canadian government, they only want to spread it out. But why?

Would that extended time frame give the CHFA and the large players in the NHP industry the appropriate amount of time to wipe out the small and medium players who cannot afford the onerous cost of compliance ? Perhaps the smaller companies will not compromise their ethics and/ or add synthetic and GMO inferior fillers to standardize their products to get their NPNs?. If Natural health products really are so dangerous and need such stringent specifications, and outrageous standards of evidence, can someone please show me the dead bodies?

Here is a great quote from www.biomedcentral.com

"On the other hand, some representatives from large companies
are disappointed with the time frames provided by
the NHPD but for different reasons than representatives
from SMEs. Large firm employees are frustrated that the
implementation stage is moving slowly:
the faster the weaker players get out of the business, the
better, from a commercial side or predatory side ... there's
only going to be 3 or 4 big players that are going to survive.
We intend on being one of them. So I'm saying if
you're going to cause that, then do it faster. Quit slow
bleeding us."

This is not surprising after you look at the other companies involved with the Nutri-Net program. A large percentage of the directors and board members of the organizations come from either Bio-Tech companies, or Pharmaceutical Companies.

That's right! Funded by the government and in a large part being run by Bio-tech and pharmaceutical companies.

Voice of the NHP Industry or voice of the government within the NHP industry? You decide.

We should all support initiatives like the Charter Of Health Freedom
With that passed as a law this whole mess of bureaucracy and red tape over your health freedoms will be alleviated!