[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 22 (Thursday, March 3, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  CONSUMPTION OF ANTIOXIDANT VITAMINS

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                          HON. BILL RICHARDSON

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 3, 1994

  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, a panel of America's leading scientists 
have given up on the Food and Drug Administration and issued their own 
recommendations for the consumption of antioxidant vitamins. A growing 
volume of scientific studies indicate that daily ingestion of vitamins 
C, E and beta carotene--a form of vitamin A--can dramatically reduce 
the incidence of cancer, heart disease, cataracts, and other conditions 
associated with aging.
  Under the Nutrition Education and Labeling Act of 1990, this type of 
simple but effective nutrition information was supposed to flow to 
consumers after review by the FDA. Unfortunately, the anticipated flow 
has amounted to little more than a trickle. Only two health claims have 
been authorized by the FDA since the law was enacted and one, which 
informs women of child-bearing age that a modest amount of folic acid 
can significantly reduce birth defects, was finally allowed well over a 
year after the U.S. Public Health Service had issued its own 
recommendation on the need to consume folic acid.
  The 1990 act directed the agency to review 10 specific health claims, 
including 1 on antioxidants. In preliminary and final rulemakings, the 
FDA has rejected an antioxidant health claim three times. As a result, 
supplement manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers are denied the 
ability to provide truthful and nonmisleading information about the 
increasingly apparent benefits of antioxidant vitamins to tens of 
millions of American consumers. And all this is done in the name of 
protecting the public.
  When America's leading scientists have to call a press conference to 
inform people of information that could save their lives and will 
certainly save health care dollars because the Federal agency 
responsible for protecting the public health refuses to let the private 
sector provide such information at no expense to the taxpayer, 
something is seriously wrong. This is why over 230 of my colleagues 
have joined me as cosponsors to H.R. 1709, the Dietary Supplement 
Health and Education Act, and why we must enact legislation in this 
Congress to correct the FDA's senseless overregulation of the dietary 
supplement industry.

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