The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in the 1960s by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and the WHO (World Health Organization) to help coordinate international food standards. Members include representatives of nearly 200 governments, including ours. In 2005 Codex adopted voluntary guidelines that apply to the purity and bioavailability of vitamin and mineral supplements that are regulated as foods. The document, however, does not suggest requiring a prescription to purchase the products. Post readers may have heard that the Codex Commission will require all fruits and vegetables to be irradiated and sprayed with pesticides, too. This statement is also untrue.

Codex and Nutritional Supplements The Saturday Evening Post