Annex 2
Letter to the Minister for Food Safety
from the Health Food Manufacturers' Association
AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
ON B6
I am writing to ask you to correct a statement
you made yesterday afternoon to the Agriculture Committee.
You told them with some force that this Association
had turned down the request from your Ministry for a label warning
on B6 products. This suggestion has neither been proposed to us
nor discussed. What you did ask us to consider was a voluntary
upper limit of 10 mg for B6 products. We turned this down because
we do not believe this is a limitation supported by science or
the need, even on a precautionary basis, to restrict freedom of
choice.
I believe that your statement was damaging to
our credibility, not only to the Committee, but also to your own
view regarding our co-operation with you and your Ministry.
I would appreciate it if you would correct the
record with the Agriculture Committee.
It is also the purpose of this letter to make
it transparently clear that we have enjoyed excellent relationships
with your Ministry for more than 30 years, readily discussing
and accepting voluntary label warnings on vitamin A products that
could be taken to excess at the time of pregnancy; voluntary and
agreed limits on the levels of zinc and copper in products and,
on the initiative of all three relevant trade associations, we
are phasing in an agreed warning statement on iron products with
a total content in the container of more than 250 mg of elemental
iron which may, if consumed by a toddler, be toxic.
We are more than ready to have talks about warnings
on the labels of high level B6 products.
I look forward to hearing from you.
20 May 1998
| 
