A Consultation Document for The Development of a Natural Health Products Bill is before New Zealanders and the Government has asked for your response. Health Freedom NZ support the efforts of the National and Green Parties who are responsible for bringing in sensible regulation, however we have concerns about some of the details that their officials have drafted that would see your access to consumer choice being denied.

It is important to note that this time the Government is on the side of sensible and fair regulations that support the industry and protect the consumer at the same time. They are listening and asking for your response to the details their officials have drafted. This is your opportunity to participate in the drafting of sensible regulation. Some of our major concerns in this document are:

“It is proposed that the regulator maintain a list of permitted claims about natural health products. It is proposed that only low-level claims (such as aiding digestion, helping to maintain joint mobility, preventing or relieving the symptoms of minor illnesses) be included on the list of permissible natural health product claims. Claims about preventing or treating a serious disease would not be permitted.”

This contradicts an earlier statement in the document that says “suppliers should be able to make health claims for products, supported by evidence” - and - “Consumers should be supported to make informed choices about their use of natural health products”.

“The natural health products covered by the regulatory framework would be lower risk products containing only ingredients that were on a list of more than 4000 substances that have been assessed by other regulators as being safe for use in products that are not subjected to the sort of stringent pre-market controls that apply to medicines. They would not be promoted for the treatment or prevention of serious diseases and would not be for use by injection or in the eye.”

“Such are starting list would contain several thousand ingredients and could be expected to cover most of the ingredients used in products that would fall within the definition of a natural health product”.

This is just a consultation document right now, so the more people that put in a response to the Ministry of Health, the more opportunity there is to get legislation that meets the needs of the consumer. In the meantime we need to have as many people as possible to be in touch with us in case it does become a reality.Write your response to the Ministry of Health before the 17th May, 2010. More information also here:

Discussion document located here:

www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/consult-development-natural-health-products-bill-mar10

Visit us on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/pages/Health-Freedom-New-Zealand/87262903341

www.twitter.com/healthfreedomnz
 

If you require assistance on how to make a response please Sign-in to view and contribute to discussion on the response to the Government Discussion Document on regulation of Natural Products.