The FDA is Running an Extortion Racket

[Guest guest]

The FDA is Running an Extortion Racket

J Mercola, M.D.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/13/the-fda-is-running\

-an-extortion-racket.aspx

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is running a criminal

extortion racket designed to shift money from health supplement

companies to the pockets of top FDA contractors. At least three

different companies have been targeted for extortion by U.S. Food and

Drug Administration employees.

The FDA extortion racket works like this: FDA employees use

keyword-scanning software to scan the Web pages of natural health

product and supplement companies. They look for terms like cancer,

cures, treatment, remedies and other " forbidden " words.

FDA employees then review the discovered pages to determine if they

contain any words that might inform consumers of the health benefits of

the nutritional products -- or links that point Web users to scientific

articles from peer-reviewed medical journals that explain the health

benefits of specific foods, supplements or nutrients. Companies are even

targeted for simply posting customer testimonials, even when those

testimonials make absolutely no health claims.

When offending words or links are found by the FDA, they contact the

company and warn them to remove all information and links from their

websites. Cherry products, for example, cannot link to scientific

articles explaining the simple biological fact that cherries ease

inflammation in human beings. Such links are considered " drug claims " by

the FDA.

If the company being targeted refuses to fully comply with the FDA's

requests, the FDA then threatens the company principals with arrest and

seizure unless they agree to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to top

FDA contractors and sign a " consent decree " where the company " admits "

to committing various crimes.

The FDA employees or contractors receiving the extorted money, it is

claimed, are being paid to " review web pages " to make sure they don't

contain anything that might inform consumers about the

scientifically-validated benefits of the health products being sold.

Source:

http://tinyurl.com/5vm9se

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Mike did a fine piece explaining how the FDA has been targeting

supplement makers for some time, claiming it's all in the interest of

public safety. But it doesn't take much investigation to realize what's

really going on: the FDA isn't interested in protecting you -- they're

interested in protecting the pharmaceutical industry.

And in doing so, they are intimidating, censoring and threatening to

imprison supplement companies that attempt to explain the health

benefits of their products.

Why are they doing this? Because the FDA is financially supported by the

drug companies in the form of user fees for drug approval, and they will

stop at nothing to protect the hand that feeds it.

Though it may sound incredulous that a public health agency would go so

far as to try and bankrupt supplement makers, this practice is already

occurring.

Last June the FDA announced new standards for dietary supplements that

were intended to improve consumer safety. In reality, the 800-page rule

surrounds the dietary supplement industry with regulations and

requirements in excess of those imposed on the drug industry, and up to

50 percent of small companies will simply not be able to afford to comply.

Now they are going after the companies that are still around and

threatening to arrest them if they don't sign a tyrannical Consent

Decree, which means the company " admits " to various " crimes " and gives

the FDA the right to:

.. Cease product manufacturing, processing, or distribution

.. Recall the product (at the company's expense)

.. Charge the company $100 per hour for travel time and other work of FDA

employees (with NO limit)

.. Charge the company for FDA employee hotel rooms and storage fees for

all products seized by the FDA

So you can see how a small-scale supplement company could easily be run

out of business with these types of fees. You may be thinking, well what

types of " crimes " did the supplement makers do to deserve this? You've

got to hear this ....

The Story Gets Even More Outrageous ...

One company being targeted by the FDA is the FruitFast company, which

was forced to sign an FDA document and admit to " misbranding " their " drug. "

Well, their " drug " is cherry juice concentrate, and their " misbranding "

was an entirely true statement that the juice concentrate helps to

eliminate gout.

The FDA ruled that this claim made the cherry juice an " unapproved drug "

and this is what gave them license to target the company.

The fact that the FDA feels it necessary to take time and money going

after a cherry juice company, while continually allowing and defending

such known toxic products as bisphenol A, flu shots and aspartame, shows

what this fraudulent " bought-and-paid-for " agency has truly come to.

It comes down to basic rights.

Should a company be allowed to state true, factual evidence and

scientific research that supports their product, be it cherry juice or a

bicycle helmet?

Of course.

And should a government agency have the right to threaten and extort

money from companies who do so? Not in a supposedly " just " society. Yet

this is going on all over the United States.

There are Ways You Can Help

You can help stop the FDA from targeting supplement manufacturers by

signing the petition at www.reformFDA.org.

The petition, sponsored by the American Association of Health Freedom,

is devoted to ending the FDA's power and influence over the health of

the U.S. population. You can also contact your Congressperson or

Senator, and tell them you support Freedom of Speech rights for

supplement companies.

You can also tell Congress that you support the Health Freedom

Protection Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Ron that would

prevent the FDA from censoring truthful claims about the curative or

preventative effect of dietary supplements.

It takes only about 10 percent of the population to become aware of the

injustices going on in the health care arena, and voice their opinions

as such, to prompt real change. So if you feel strongly about this

issue, please do your part to let your feelings be heard, and encourage

those in your circle to do so as well. Together we can make a difference.

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