Distribution list- IAHF has been circulating a form letter to defend B-6
above 10 mg in the UK. In addition to SPNT, our efforts have also been
helping here. People world wide need to keep abreast of this battle in the
UK to defend access to B-6 above 10 mg. There is no justification for any
restriction on dosage. We salute SPNT's hard work, and urge health freedom
groups world wide to take notice.

>X-Sender: lorna@pop.intergate.bc.ca
>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.5 (32)
>Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 08:42:46 -0700
>To: hans@hans.org
>From: Lorna Hancock <lorna@intergate.bc.ca>
>Subject: Vitamin B6 - UK Campaign
>
>>Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 10:03:06 -0400
>>From: Admin <SPNT@compuserve.com>
>>Subject: Vitamin B6 - UK Campaign
>>Sender: Admin <SPNT@compuserve.com>
>>Dear Friend
>>
>>We are delighted at a considerable advance in our campaign to save supra-10
>>mg doses of vitamin B6 in the UK. The results of an independent enquiry
>>held by the (very powerful) House of Commons Agriculture Committee is
>>reported in the following press notice.
>>
>>The Committee has accepted all SPNT’s proposals, including the proposal
>>that the Government’s newly appointed Expert Group on Dietary Supplements
>>should include complementary medicine representatives as full members
>>rather than observers.
>>
>>Our efforts helped to ensure that the committee received a total of 440
>>submissions opposing the ban on supra-10mg B6 supplements. The committee's
>>decision will cause the Government considerable embarrassment, and, we are
>>confident of a U-turn once the current consultation stage is over.
>>
>>With best wishes,
>>Linda Lazarides
>>Society for the Promotion of Nutritional Therapy
>>UK
>>Visit our web site on http://visitweb.com/spnt
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>---------------------------------------------------
>>
>>House of Commons Agriculture Committee
>>
>>Press Notice No. 28 of Session 1997-98 dated 23 June 1998
>>
>>AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO WITHDRAW PROPOSED
>>RESTRICTIONS ON VITAMIN B6
>>
>>In its Fifth Report of Session 1997-98, Vitamin B6, published today, the
>>Agriculture Committee considers the Government's proposals to restrict
>>levels of vitamin B6 in food supplements on free sale. Acting on advice
>>from the Department of Health's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food,
>>Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), the Government has issued for
>>consultation draft regulations which would have the effect of limiting the
>>daily dosage of vitamin B6 in food supplements on free sale to 10
>>milligrammes (mg) or under.
>>
>>The Agriculture Committee received written evidence from a large number of
>>individuals and organisations, most of them questioning the scientific
>>basis of COT's advice and, in particular, the validity of a 1987 study by
>>Dalton and Dalton used by COT in reaching its conclusions on the toxicity
>>of vitamin B6. On 19 May the Committee took oral evidence, successively,
>>from: Consumers for Health Choice; the Health Food Manufacturers'
>>Association; Professor H F Woods, the Chairman of COT; and Mr Jeff Rooker
>>MP, Minister of State at MAFF.
>>
>>The Committee's main recommendations are that:
>>
>>­ in relation to dietary supplements, the Government should withdraw its
>>proposed draft regulations to limit the level of vitamin B6 per daily dose
>>to 10 mg (paragraph 23)
>>
>>­ the Government should seek to introduce a voluntary limit, pending the
>>report of the Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals, with the industry, of
>>100 mg per daily dose. All dietary supplements containing vitamin B6 should
>>display a clear warning that intakes above this level may carry health
>>risks, particularly when taken over an extended period. No legislation
>>should be considered until the Expert Group has reported (paragraph 24)
>>
>>The Committee's other conclusions and recommendations are as follows:
>>
>>­ We would ... urge that the Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals be asked
>>to produce recommendations for a framework for deciding whether regulation
>>of dietary supplements is necessary at all, or whether consumer advice is
>>sufficient (paragraph 19)
>>
>>­ It is our view that the doubts concerning the 1987 Dalton and Dalton
>>study are so serious that it is scientifically unjustifiable to use them as
>>the basis for establishing a lowest observed adverse effect level in
>>relation to vitamin B6 intake (paragraph 20)
>>
>>­ The evidence on the efficacy of vitamin B6 is inconclusive, and many
>>consumers may experience a placebo effect rather than any actual health
>>benefit. Nevertheless, such people are perfectly entitled to make such
>>choices for themselves, so long as they are provided with sufficient
>>information to avoid the potential health risks of high levels of intake,
>>and so long as dietary supplements do not make medicinal claims. ... We
>>trust that the unfortunate row which has taken place over vitamin B6 will
>>act as a constant reminder to [the Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals]
>>of the need to base its recommendations and advice on sound and
>>substantiated scientific knowledge, and adherence to a clear definition of
>>the role and limits of Government intervention in this area as it
>>recommends and Parliament agrees (paragraph 25)
>>
>>­ We recommend that, to assist in avoiding any repeat of the vitamin B6
>>controversy, consumer and industry interests should be able to nominate one
>>or two independent scientific experts in nutrition and toxicology for
>>appointment as full members of the [Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals]
>>(paragraph 26)
>>
>>The Report is available from The Parliamentary Bookshop or The Stationery
>>Office, price £20.50 (ISBN 010 240 1985). The full text of the Report will
>>be available on the Internet at 3.30 pm on 23 June.
>>
>>Note for editors
>>
>>The Agriculture Committee is one of the sixteen departmentally-related
>>select committees established under the provisions of Standing Order No.
>>152 of the House of Commons. It is responsible for examining the
>>expenditure, administration and policy of the Ministry of Agriculture,
>>Fisheries and Food and its associated public bodies.

Note to British Consumers: You should pressure the Ag Committee to either
cut MAFF's funding, or to force them to stop squandering money attacking
B-6 and other dietary supplements, when they are ignoring GENUINE public
health concerns in the process.
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