Archive for March, 2007

FAQ RE: Site Blocked

Friday, March 16th, 2007

March 16, 2007

FAQ’s on Our Blocked Site
As you probably know, yesterday the Natural Solutions Foundation website was blocked by its service provider www.1and1.com*

So many people have written to express support, ask questions and suggest options and solutions that I thought I would send out an update and give you the full details of what has happened so far. We are taking this very seriously, indeed. We feel that this represents a violation of our rights to speak our truth as we see fit and share that truth with you. Please make sure you read the FAQ about putting up another site. Those of you who asked if the problem could just be a technical problem will find that sectionrather interesting. (Hint: no, it was not just a technical problem.)
The number of emails you sent to the Natural Solutions Foundation was truly staggering. Your expressions of support, suggestion
on how to fix the the problem and make sure it could not happen again were wonderful. Sharing your own experiences of similar events was strengthening and extremely helpful. Every email will be answered personally but it will take a little time because of the volume of those emails.I have read every one of those emails and thought it would be useful to send out an FAQ sheet to address the questions and issues raised by so many of you in the meantime, though.

WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE SITE NOW?

The Natural Solutions Foundation site is operational again. You can go there now. There apparently are some areas that are not fully operational so please, if you come across anything that is not working properly, email me at dr.laibow@gmail.com

IS THE SITE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AT THIS POINT?

The Natural Solutions Foundation site is working more or less correctly except that all the pictures of items on the Organics4U store are missing and some people have been having trouble signing up for the mailing list. We have no idea why they are missing but the rest of the store is working fine. If you want to sign up and you cannot, here’s my email: dr.laibow@gmail.com. Send me an email and I will make sure you are added.

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED?

Two days ago we got an email from a supporter saying that the site was not on line. Within a short time I had received many similar emails. I went on line, confirmed that the site was unavailable and contacted our hosting site, www.1and1.com. When I attempted to log in, I found that our site was listed as “locked”.

Two months ago 1and1.com had said the credit card we use to pay for the hosting service ($99 per month) would not accept the charge. The card was fine. Rather than hassle further with the people in their billing department, we gave them permission to use another card so I thought that perhaps they had gotten the billing wrong again.

Their billing department was closed so I called their technical support department. I waited in a stack-up for 19 minutes and 45 seconds (typical of all my calls to 1and1.com, by the way) and since I was calling from overseas the charges were escalating and I was getting more displeased by the billing unit.

Mahat Answers the Phone

Finally Mahat, a technician, answered the call. I explained the problem to him and he looked at their computer and said, yes, the site is locked. When I asked why, Mahat said that it had been locked with no information and that was unusual. I asked him to look into it and he could/would not. When I wanted to talk to a supervisor, Mahat said his supervisor was on leave. I asked to speak to his supervisor’s supervisor and he said that he was not there. I asked the higher up to call me when he came in. Mahat said he would not.

Figuring that if a site could be locked it could be unlocked, I got Mahat to ask the supervisor of another team to authorized the site being unlocked. Mahat reported that the other person said, “If it were on the weekend we would do it but it is a weekday so we won’t unlock the site.”

Billing was open only from 9-5 PM on the next business day (yesterday). However, since I am on the other side of the world, that was a long time away.

A call to billing resulted in a similar wait and then a person got on line and told me that the site was blocked because of a credit card payment problem. This is not possible. I asked why this information was not on their computer. I got no answer. A struggle ensued and I was finally told that the site would be reopened “within the hour” and that another credit card payment would be charged to my account.

SITE DOES NOT GET UN-BLOCKED

The site did not go back on line. I spent the next 6 hours repeatedly calling headquarters (which turns out to be a call center, not a headquarters according to the person on the other end who did not know the name of the President of the company or any officers of the company to whom I could speak) and calling the billing department, technical service and anyone else who might have been able to help. 1and1.com lists their technical support as a 24 hour service.

The recorded message which stayed on for hours was “We are sorry. All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.” I did. For over 6 hours. It was not “later” enough.

DID NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION PUT UP ANOTHER SITE?

One of the first things I did was contact my webmaster who said he would put up an informational site alerting people to what had happened if they went to our site. He did so very quickly. His server and all of the sites he hosts immediately crashed. When he took our temporary site down, the servers and sites were fine.

COULDN’T THE PROBLEM HAVE BEEN JUST A TECHNICAL ISSUE?

The problems we experienced and the ones our webmaster experienced are characteristic of a DDOS or Dedicated Disruption of Service attack in which a bank of computers is set up to fire off so many repeating and competing requests for access to a site that the system crashes. That is not a simple technical event. It requires planning and sophisticated capacity to damage of destroy site capacity.

Many of you wrote to ask if we could pursue legal action because of the disruption. Here is what our webmaster wrote to me about that question:

While DDOS are technically illegal and prosecutable, it’s basically impossible to track down the perpetrators. They could be in any country, directed by parties in any other country. They could be using a computer here, a computer there, they could even be using your computer if you’ve got a virus on your hard drive. So this route — prosecution — is not realistic (at least at this point).

1and1.com has still not disclosed whether they had locked our site because it had been the target of a DDOS but the chances are good since our URL immediately was hit with DDOS activity when our webmaster redirected it to his temporary page.

HOW DO I MAKE A DONATION TO THE NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION?

Your donations are critically important. The fact that we have been attacked by such sophisticated means says that we are right on target and we need your help to stay there.

1. You can go to www.PayPal.com and make a tax deductible donation to this email account:

releyes@gmail.com

PayPal donations to either of those emails go directly into the Natural Solutions Foundation bank account.

2. You can go to our website which is up now and donate either on a one time or recurring basis. Both are appreciated. Recurring donations mean that we can count on support each month and are very helpful. All donations are tax exempt for US residents and citizens.

3. You can send a check or money order marked “Donation” to our headquarters. Send your donation to

Natural Solutions Foundation
P.O. Box 722
Maryville, MO 64468
U.S.A.

WHAT ABOUT THE NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION STORE, ORGANICS4U?

Organics4U is up and running but there are no pictures of the products. We don’t know why yet.

When you shop at Organics4U all profit goes to the Natural Solutions Foundation to support our work. You will receive a letter thanking you for your support an telling you how much your donation was for that purchase!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN?

Many people sent excellent suggestions about mirroring sites and other strategies to prevent a repeat of this episode. We are vigorously investigating them and will certainly take action to make sure we are not prone to this kind of attack again.

I CALLED 1AND1.COM AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.

Me too! But many of you wrote to say that you had called 1and1 which said that they were getting lots of calls about the Natural Solutions Foundation being off line. To all of you who called or wrote to Congress about this, THANKS!

NOW THAT THE SITE IS UP AGAIN, IS THE EVENT OVER?

Not by a long shot! Our freedom of speech has been interfered with and we want to know why and by whom. We will keep you posted.

We will also be making changes (which many of you suggested) to make sure that this does not happen again. If it does, we’ll get past it because of your community of support just like this time!

OK. NATURAL SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION SURVIVED THIS ATTACK. WHAT’S NEXT?

You can be sure that there will be more attacks. Disinformation, Disruption and Deception. The 3 Ds are potent tools used by those who have secrets to keep when it comes to power and money. They don’t want the secrets out and the Natural Solutions Foundation is telling it exactly the way it is. There will be more attacks, you may be sure.

We have been very busy planning for the next stages of our fight. Now we have a new piece in the puzzle: freedom of speech. You can be sure that we will be focusing on that in our blogs and emails and asking you to help support uncensored sharing of information and ideas. Without freedom, what does health freedom mean?

The General’s View of Attempts to Silence the Natural Solutions Foundation

General Stubblebine will be writing an email to you shortly so you get his take on this situation, too. As a career military officer sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, he has quite a lot to say about the meaning of this event.

Organics4U is Getting Even Better

Organics4U is in preparation for a brand new look and a brand new launch. New products are being added to make the selection even better.

We are creating a library of down-loadable information for your use because you asked us to. This free information service will have sections focusing on nutrients, herbs and disease conditions to help you with the best, most up-to-date information. Health choices will be easier to make. Our products are already the cleanest, healthiest and most effective available anywhere. Everything on the Organics4U store is clean, unadulterated and good for bodies and the earth! And we are upgrading our media section, too.

There will be a new Newsletter once a month filled with tips, topics of health interest, book reviews and health news. We’ll take your questions and give you meaningful answers. Watch for it.

ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS NEXT IN THE FOUNDATION SITES ?

The Natural Solutions Foundation attended a Codex meeting in Oslo last month on the labeling of GM foods. We were invited to speak in Africa in June on the topic and we are now working on a White Paper on Genetically Modified Foods and their serious flaws and dangers. Right now you can buy the Codex eBook detailing the solution to the Codex press forcing countries do down regulate all effective vitamins and minerals (the other nutrient substances are under the hammer, too) which we give to heads of state, ministers of health, etc. It is beautiful book which clearly sets forth the problem of low potency nutrients and gives both clinical and legal solutions which people and countries can follow to become World Trade Organization sanction-proof. Research volunteers needed. Write to me at dr.laibow@gmail.com .

We are working on the next in that series, a GMO book. Stay tuned!

ARE YOU STILL TRAVELING A LOT?

This year, with your help we will attend the following Codex meetings:

* May: Codex Committee on Food Labeling, Canada
* July: Codex Commission, Italy
* September, Codex Biotech Committee, Japan
* November, Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Germany
* We will be lecturing and meeting with decision makers in India, Tanzania, Ghana, Us, Nigeria and about 10 other countries during 2007.
* We are working hard on initiating programs under the International Decade of Nutrition in several countries. These programs make the impact of nutrition clear through beautifully designed, high potency nutrient programs and other simple, natural techniques for ensuring health and health freedom.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Hundreds of people wrote to say that they were grateful for the work that we are doing because this is their fight, too. They are absolutely right! Get involved.

1. Sign the Citizens Petition! Print out copies and take them to public gatherings, health food stores, your food market, your play group. Ask people to sign them. Email the link and get people talking. Take them wherever you go and help people to see that it is their battle as well.

2. Email the Nutricide link to every one you know. Tell them why they need to be involved in this issue. Arrange showings of the Nutricide Video in your home town, club or church. Take lots of Citizens Petitions with you so people can sign it when they have seen the video.

3. Use your creativity to find ways that you can help to win this battle. If you paint, or you sing or you do data entry or you do bake sales or dance recitals, or play jazz or sew or have your businessman’s club that would like to sponsor a cause take up health freedom, etc. Think about what you can bring to the health freedom battle and then do it! Let us know what you are interested in doing so we can support you! Contact me at dr.laibow@gmail.com and we’ll figure out how to help!

4. What happens if the unique voice of the Natural Solutions Foundation is not here defending your health and your health freedom? Don’t let that happen. Practice the 3 G’s of health freedom: Get involved, Give and Germinate new interest!

I think that answers most of the questions which your hundreds and hundreds of emails asked and the comments which you addressed. If I left something out, let me know at dr.laibow@gmail.com.

Yours in health and freedom,

Dr. Rima

Rima E. Laibow, MD

Medical Director

Natural Solutions Foundation

Posted in Activism, Citizen's Petition | No Comments »

This Is War!

Sunday, March 11th, 2007

March 11, 2007

Weapons for Winning a War Without Fighting

You are a target in a war. So are your children, grandchildren, parents, and the people half way around the world whom you have never met. The war is for resources and you are in the way.

You Are In the Way. It’s that simple.

US foreign policy became very clear in the December 10, 1974 National Security Study Memorandum, “NSSM 200, Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for U.S. Security and Overseas Interests” also called the Kissinger Document. In it, an explicit policy by which the US would promote rapid population decline in 13 countries was articulated. Kissinger’s now famous (and declassified) quote sums up the elaborate plan:

“Depopulation should be the highest priority of foreign policy towards the third world, because the US economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals from abroad, especially from less developed countries.”

NSSM 200 became official US policy in November 1975 under President Gerald Ford. Birth control, war and famine were all tools to serve US access to mineral resources without impediments caused by third word populations who were to be eliminated. Brent Scowcroft, Kissinger’s replacement as National Security Adviser was put in charge of implementing the plan. CIA Director George Bush was ordered to assist Scowcroft, along with the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense, and Agriculture.

Brazil Noticed

Carrying out this depopulation agenda, other agencies besides those most closely identified publicly with the US are active as well.

Former Brazilian Health Minster Carlos Santana, for example, pointed out that “The World Bank, through their reports of its Presidents, has always made its proselytizing for a rigid birth control policy explicit,” and that included in World Bank credit packages and investment in Third World countries is an implicit agenda of depopulation. He questioned why Brazil was targeted for birth reduction, with approximately forty per cent of Brazilian woman having been already sterilized.

Quotes Worth Noting

The architects and engineers of global depopulation include iconic figures, corporate and governmental leaders and national decision-makers.

Depopulation programs worldwide are directed and funded by major international money interests, including McGeorge Bundy of the Council on Foreign Relations, (the architect of the US nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction or MAD policy); Warren E. Buffet, the second wealthiest man in the United States; and, long term supporters of eugenics, the Rockefellers.

In 1998, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, announced “In the event that I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, in order to contribute something to solve overpopulation.”**

Ted Turner, in an interview with Audubon Magazine said, “A total world population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” and is using his purported $1Billion “gift” to the UN to further global depopulation programs.

UNESCO Courier, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the famous Emmy award winning film producer and ambassador for the environmental movement, said in 1991,

“It’s terrible to have to say this. World population must be stabilized and to do that we must eliminate 350,000 people per day.”

As Alex Jones pointed out, “That works out to 127,750,000 people per year, and 1.27 billion people over 10 years.”***

But what about the US? Is anyone trying to get rid of us? Look at what the USDA and FDA permit as “food” and tell me whether the preventable diseases of under nutrition and toxicity which are killing us to the great profit of the “Bigs” (Big Pharma at the top of the list, of course, but Big Chema, Big Biotechna, Big Abgribiz and Big Medica) could possibly have been regulated this disastrously by accident alone.

Help Me Out Here

Tell me if you believe

* That the permission to market spectacularly toxic drugs long after their dangers are know is caused by simple incompetence and greed.
* That the policies which support regulators who consistently protect drugs and pesticides and GM “FrankenFoods” which are killing the American population are the simple results of corruption.
* That the CDC’s decision to hide the harm being done to our young while protecting the vaccine industry’s profits is mere corruption or whether somewhere, at some level, the real impact of treatments and procedures which are destroying our population through completely preventable disasters is simply a grave error of judgment and that the scientists who try to correct these problems in the regulatory agencies are intimidated and harassed as random acts of administrative error.
* That a multi-trillion dollar business which treats people with chemotherapy agents which the industry supported American Cancer Society admits provides any benefit for a mere 3-4% of people suffering from cancer while the US government ruthlessly suppresses effective, inexpensive and safe cancer treatments is simply a result of unalloyed greed.

If so, then you can buy the notion that the disastrous (and wildly profitable) deaths by pharmaceuticals which account for huge numbers of preventable deaths in the developed world (according to journals like the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, etc.) could be due to corrupt regulators alone.

It also means that you buy the story that degraded and depleted food laced with poisons is regulated onto our tables and shelves by accident. That Donald Rumsfeld’s statement (as the CEO of Searle) that he wanted Aspartame approved by the FDA and he did “not care how many people it killed” was just a poor turn of phrase.

That means that you are comfortable that the depopulation agenda being so vigorously pursued elsewhere in the world does not touch the shores of the US.

Are You Disposable?

No one, rich or poor, believes they are disposable. And they are right.

I have traveled to places populated by some of the most abjectly poor people in the world on the health freedom trail. People without any way out of that abject poverty, people starving and watching their children starve, have not been willing, just as you and I are not willing, to hold up their hands and say, “Yes, I am a useless eater! For the sake of the elite and their comforts, my children and I are willing to be eliminated.”

Yet read what a leading proponent of eugenics/depopulation has to say about those stubborn people who for some reason will not willingly class themselves as useless eaters for their own good!:

“The very word eugenics is in disrepute in some quarters … We must ask ourselves, what have we done wrong?

I think we have failed to take into account a trait which is almost universal and is very deep in human nature. People simply are not willing to accept the idea that the genetic base on which their character was formed is inferior and should not be repeated in the next generation. We have asked whole groups of people to accept this idea and we have asked individuals to accept it. They have constantly refused and we have all but killed the eugenic movement … they won’t accept the idea that they are in general second rate. We must rely on other motivation. … it is surely possible to build a system of voluntary unconscious selection. But the reasons advanced must be generally acceptable reasons. Let’s stop telling anyone that they have a generally inferior genetic quality, for they will never agree. Let’s base our proposals on the desirability of having children born in homes where they will get affectionate and responsible care, and perhaps our proposals will be accepted.”

– From Galton and Mid Century Eugenics by Frederick Osborn, Galton Lecture 1956, in Eugenics Review, vol. 48, 1, 1956

Weaponizing Food

Using food as a weapon goes back to the beginning of inter-group struggle. Sieges are mounted to starve the opposing side. Scorched earth policies deprive peasant and warrior alike of the food they need to survive. Food has been a weapon of tribal and national policy since there were tribes and nations. The US upper echelon policy makers and their friends the would-be masters of the planet have taken this ancient form of intentional misery and death one step further.

With chilling directness, food was officially weaponized by NSSM 200 which the US has never repudiated. The document states, “Since population growth is a major determinant of increases in food demand, allocation of scarce PL 480 resources should take account of what steps a country is taking in population control as well as food production. In these sensitive relations, however, it is important in style as well as substance to avoid the appearance of coercion.”…. “Mandatory programs may be needed and we should be considering these possibilities now,” the document continued, adding, “Would food be considered an instrument of national power? … Is the U.S. prepared to accept food rationing to help people who can’t/won’t control their population growth?” Among the conclusions reached by NSSM 200 is that “mandatory [emphasis added] population control measures” may be “appropriate.”* NSSM 200 states that “large-scale famine of a kind not experienced for several decades—a kind the world thought had been permanently banished,…can be expected” as policy events and points out “In these sensitive relations, however, it is important in style as well as substance to avoid the appearance of coercion” and suggests that the UN and other agencies be used to carry out these policies.

Codex: A Perfect Disguise

Codex works perfectly for that purpose. If you were turning food into a tool of depopulation and political control, wouldn’t you do exactly what the Codex Commission has done? Wouldn’t you create a high sounding international body to “protect consumer health” and “ensure the free trade of food” while bringing your less developed brethren along to develop their “science based” agriculture and food processing capabilities? Wouldn’t you make sure that higher and higher levels of deadly chemicals, hormones and other toxins (including heavy metals and animal drug residues) were lacing their foods and get them to want to pay you premium prices for helping them to contaminate their own food and buy your illness-inducing “food” at the same time? Wouldn’t you set up seemingly scientific “risk analysis” procedures to mandate global mal- and under-nutrition knowing that, as Linus Pauling said, every disease is caused by a nutritional deficiency”? Then you could sanctimoniously declare that the “preventable diseases of under nutrition” were killing more and more and more people and wasn’t it terrible!

Supposedly “Science Based” and advisory in nature, and backed up by WTO trade sanctions (unless countries follow our two step protective strategy), Codex serves the interests of the multinational corporations which are controlled by people whose idea of a really great planet is one without 5/6 of the people on it now. You have to hand it to the would-be masters: Codex is a brilliantly constructed, glossy and beautifully crafted deception and disinformation system.

Third world countries are led down the disastrous garden path of depleted and damaged food resulting in peoples with weakened immune systems who are under nourished and over fed on nutrient poor food. Their food is irradiated, contaminated with highly profitable chemicals, genetically modified foods and the results are inevitable.

Codex Delegates Disinformed

The men and women who attend Codex as National Representatives and Delegates, by the way, are, in my experience, in the main, good, decent and hard working people who have been totally hoodwinked by brilliant misrepresentation and pseudo science. The amazing thing is how quickly they convert their nagging suspicions and unease to clear understanding when we present the facts as we understand them in personal and direct conversation.

We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

Success in taking back our food and our freedom is really up to us. We have the information and we have the power to take back our futures. This war has been brought to our tables and our bodies. It is up to us to “Join the Mouth Revolution” in more ways than just spitting out fake food. We need to speak, we need to educate, we need to purchase healthy foods and nutrients, and we need to share what we know with everyone we reach. The stakes are literally life and death. Yours, mine and theirs.

Marshalling Resources

No army can fight without resources. Human resources are precious and so are monetary resources. We need your creativity as volunteers, organizers, and artists. And, yes, we need your donation.

We still have $22,341 to raise by the end of March in order to meet our goal. It’s really important that we do meet it so we can continue our work. We need your help.

Yours in health and freedom,

Dr. Rima

Rima E. Laibow, MD

Medical Director

Natural Solutions Foundation

*http://www.schillerinstitute.org/food_for_peace/kiss_nssm_jb_1995.html

** Reported by Deutsche Pres Agentur, August 1998

*** http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/august2005/290805chickenlittle.htm

Posted in CODEX Industries, Hall of Shame | No Comments »

Silicon Crunch: Satire to Make You Laugh and Cry At the Same Time

Thursday, March 1st, 2007

This was sent by a supporter. If the events were not so close to reality, the piece would be absurd. As it is, they could just as well be real: in fact, under different names they happen every day.

Silicon Crunch

API – Washington, D.C., June 1, 1999 …………….. by Mark D. Gold

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it will
approve the controversial new food additive, “Silicon Crunch.” Silicon
Crunch is a flavored filler made by combining artificial flavors with
finely ground, recycled glass bottles. The product was developed by the
Association of Chemical Food Manufacturers (ACFM) — a collaboration of 12
chemical chemical and food ingredient companies.

Dr. Arthur A. Morales, Vice President of Development for the inventor,
ACFM, hailed the decision as “proof that chemical company scientists can
literally make anything info food!” Dr. A. Morales went on to say that
“Silicon Crunch will change the way food is made. The versatility of this
product is amazing! It can be mixed with a variety of artificial
flavorings, colors, and sweeteners. The consistency of Silicon Crunch can
very easily be changed from crunchy to creamy by controlling the
pre-treatment of the glass food materials. We believe that this will be the
best-selling food additive in history!”

Dr. A. Morales responded to questions of concern about the safety of
Silicon Crunch by stating that “There will always be a hysterical few who
question the safety of an innovative new product. Today’s decision proves
that Silicon Crunch meets the FDA’s stringent safety requirements for food
additives.”

Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were elated
over the decision which they called “a victory for recycling.” Incoming
EPA Administrator, Dr. Morissa Green-Washington stated, “Recycling will
only work if there is a market for recycled products. The FDA’s decision
opens up the market for recycled glass. Our goal is to work with industry
to help create similar markets for other recycled products. We encourage
the development of new markets for other waste products by food and
chemical companies.” Several senior EPA scientists who spoke on the
condition of anonymity said that they do not share Dr. Green-Washington’s
views on this issue. One scientist summed up his viewpoint by stating,
“The approval of Silicon Crunch sets a significant precedent in that
Americans will now be eating recycled garbage. Even though it is
sterilized, I do not think it is appropriate.”

Considerable controversy could be seen at the FDA both before and after
the decision was announced by FDA Commissioner, Dr. Herbert D. Banner. Two
FDA scientists resigned in March claiming that the scientific review
process has been sidetracked by political and economic goals. FDA
Toxicologists Martin Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Shuller, Ph.D. held
a press conference yesterday in protest of what they allege was an
“inevitable decision without any scientific basis.” In a harsh criticism
of the FDA Commissioner, Dr. Shuller stated that there was never any
interest by FDA officials to look at the issue in a scientific way. She
went on to say that “Dr. Banner refused to even consider the extensive
documentation provided about the dangers of ingested glass! We were forced
to consider only the scientific documents on Silicon Crunch provided by
ACFM. The documentation provided by ACFM was ridiculous on the face of it,
yet there was no possibility of considering evidence challenging this
documentation given the rules we were forced to follow.” Dr. Fitzpatrick
added, “I believe that the whole process was motivated by money and that
the revolving door between drug and chemical companies and the FDA has
done irreparable harm to the credibility of the FDA.”

Commissioner Banner responded that “These two scientists were given every
opportunity to produce reputable scientific research that has shown that
ingesting heat-treated, finely-ground glass food material causes adverse
health effects. They were unable to produce any studies showing that
Silicon Crunch causes disease. The research they submitted showing serious
adverse effects from ingesting glass particles is simply not relevant
because those studies considered only normal ground bits of glass and not
specially heat-treatment Silicon Crunch. The important point is that the
majority of the FDA officials reviewing the product agreed that the
manufacturer has met its burden of proof that it is safe.”

“Silicon is already present in the body,” Commissioner Banner pointed out.
“It is in the tendons, cartilage, and blood vessels. And silicon is
already being ingested from plant fiber and hard water. The glass food
material in Silicon Crunch is simply another good source of silicon. There
is some evidence that as atherosclerosis develops, silicon levels decline
in the arteries. Adding Silicon Crunch to the diet may help prevent heart
disease!”

In response to the allegations of a “revolving door” at the FDA between
FDA officials and ACFM members, the Commissioner responded by saying,
“This whole issue of ‘revolving door’ has been grossly overblown. Firstly,
fewer FDA officials have left to work at ACFM member companies in this
calendar year than in previous years. Secondly, not all FDA officials
offered jobs by ACFM member companies have accepted those jobs. In fact, I
was offered such a job, but turned it down because I still have important
work to do as Commissioner of the FDA — namely, developing strategies to
keep herbs and supplements from stifling the development of legitimate
pharmaceuticals. Finally, former ACFM member company employees, who are
now FDA officials, have not been part of all of the critical aspects of
the decision-making process in the Silicon Crunch decision. These
‘conspiracy theories’ should not be taken seriously by the general
public.”

Commissioner Banner stated that the FDA took the cautious approach by
creating five strict requirements which must be met by the manufacturer
and other food companies using Silicon Crunch. The Commissioner provided
this official FDA summary of those requirements:

Three-layered filtration process must be installed to guarantee that no
large pieces of glass food particulates would ever be found in Silicon
Crunch. This size of these particulates are to be no more than 1/3 the
size that caused bleeding gums in animal research.

The Association of Chemical Food Manufacturers (ACFM) would be required to
monitor any unexpected adverse reactions.

ACFM would be required to design and fund research to provide continued
assurance of the safety of Silicon Crunch.

No dangerous products such as herbs or vitamins and minerals (above the
Recommended Daily Allowance) would be allowed in products which contain
Silicon Crunch.

Initially, no claims of medical benefit would be allowed on the label of
any food product which contains Silicon Crunch. However, claims such as
“Fat Free,” “Low Cholesterol,” and “Low Calorie” could be allowed for such
products. A petition to the FDA filed by ACFM for allowing a medical
claim, “Prevents Heart Disease” is currently being examined by FDA
scientists.

The food company members of ACFM are preparing to add Silicon Crunch to
many of their snack products. According to Dr. A. Morales of ACFM, “Our
goal is to get Silicon Crunch products on the shelves by late October to
coincide with the start of Halloween candy purchasing. American children
will be the first ones treated to this new wonder- product!” Dr. A.
Morales went on to say that ACFM plans to quickly obtain approval of
Silicon Crunch in other countries around the world that generally look to
the FDA to make a sound, scientific safety evaluation.

A written statement from the American Dietetic Association (ADA) pointed
out that they are still evaluating the situation. It went on to state that
the ADA will work closely with ACFM officials under a grant from that
organization to develop a workable Fact Sheet on the issue. In contrast, a
statement from the Association of Consumers for Nontoxic Food Choices
(ACNFC) claimed that the food industry has “spearheaded the destruction of
the scientific method and risk assessment for the last 25 years. This
included abuse of science and the politicizing of the approval and
evaluation process in the cases of aspartame, MSG, Olestra, acesulfame-k,
rBGH and many others. The approval of Silicon Crunch merely puts the
finishing touches on the destruction of the scientific method and approval
process.” An official of the ACNFC told this reporter that “Only a total
idiot would ingest Silicon Crunch…but given what the food industry has
been able to get Americans to ingest, I don’t hold out much hope of
preventing its widespread use.”

It appears that the controversy may rage for a considerable length of
time. The only agreed upon fact is that very soon many people will
experience first-hand the benefits or risks of Silicon Crunch.

Posted in The Law & CODEX | No Comments »