UK Supplement Industry at risk! Please read!

First post on here, been whoreing this site for months, always glued to my phone screen at work plowing through all the articles which is top quality. Anyway as you may or may not know the MHRA (Medicine and Health Regulatory Agency) have banned a huge list of compounds used in supplements and classed them as dangerous medicines that must obtain a licence to be allowed to be sold in a product in the UK.

The licence APPLICATION alone costs £50 000 per ingredient and most will no doubt be rejected anyway, those that aren’t will be of ineffective dosages and clearly nutrition suppliers don’t have anything like that kind of money and the ingredients banned affect hundreds of products.

The MHRA has stated that any product containing said ingredients must be delisted sale of them must cease, effective immediate, this is an arduous process of checking the label of each and every supplement and then removing the stock from store front and website wasting business time and a hell of a lot of money invested in stock and is having a catastrophic effect on many of the business’. The ingredients so far listed range from 1,3 DMAA to forskholi and even Carbolin 19 and milk thistle!

Essentially this has made buying any sort of prohormones or pre-workouts impossible and has reduced our supplement industry to protein, BCAAs, carbs and vitamins. Yes these are the essentials and should be the bade of any strong supplement regime however the issue is we’ve been deprived of our human right to choose what we ingest in the way of scientifically proven safe and beneficial compounds.

Furthermore the head of the MHRA has said verbally that this is just the start of a move against the supplement industry as a whole and this is just the beginning so this will surely not be a fraction of the potential damage. They state that anything inducing an ‘pharmacological, immunological or metabolical effect’ on one’s physiology is classed as medicinal - protein effects the metabolism in a number of ways so that isn’t even safe in future sites! If these substances proceed to undergo licencing and underdosing as medicinal products there’s only one pocket that’s being lined with tax money and it sure as hell ain’t ours. This may seem like political dogma but please read the links below, any way we can get some firepower behind us will help

http://www.consumersforhealthchoice.com/phpPETITION/
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13372 - not sure if US can sign that one but worth a go.

Any help is appreciated.

Europe is becoming some kind of dictatorship. Funny how we are trying to bring freedom and democracy the the middle east while we eradicate the concept at home.

I gotta get the fuck outta Europe.

It’s fucking ridiculous, it is pure dictator tactics.

The problem we have is its not in the spotlight, they’re just attempting to kick it under the carpet and make those of us who ate aware bend over and take it. Please try sign those petitions and any suggestions as to how to get this more publicised? Need all the help we cab get.

Here is a list of what we can say goodbye to:

Yohimbe
Yohimbine Hcl (most US fat burners)
Sida Cordifolia
Milk Thistle
Coleus Forskolii/ Forskolin
Carulluma Evodia (Evodiamine) (mainly us fat burners)
Gugglesterones
Tribulus
Uva Ursi
Valerian
Hoodia
White Willow
Rauwolfia/Rauwolscine (Alphaburn, Alpha-T2).
1,3 Dimethylamylamine (Jack3d, Hemo Rage Black, Dexaprine)
Synephrine
Citrus Aurantium (Hyper FX, Maximize v2)
Salix Alba
GABA (HGH Pro)
Melatonin (most sleep aids)
Tongkat Ali
Horny Goat Weed
Epimedium or Icariin (Activate Xtreme, Hemavol)
Eurycoma Longifolia boswellia (X-Factor Advanced)
Carbolin 19
Gymnema Sylvestre
Clary Sage
Commiphora Mukul

What’s funny is that the MHRA is funded by… pharmaceutical companies. They’ll be able to afford the licenses and sell their products solely, at their own prices.

Stay classy, twats.

I can only echo the mutual feeling of disgrace and despair. Nothing better than reading about some rugby player being banned for testing for a stimulant after taking an over the counter sports supplement (a product marketer’s dream!) - prompting an interest in trying it yourself. Then this crap! Bloody spoil sports!

Signed the petition! This is just crazy!

James - exactly, what routes are athletes left with now? Will it get to the stage where they get banned for being tested positive with a herb??

Rugbykid - thanks bud, every sig counts!

Anyone know that the top dogs at the MHRA earn more than most MPs?? As RSGZ said above they have been so close to the pharma industry for years that they’re basically big Pharma’s wealth protecting lap dogs! The further they push and restrict supplements the more they can give pharma all the free reign to hike up fees for the heavily underdosed equivalent at half the price, this is just another huge marketing opportunity for pharma companies and with these swines, the MHRA having all the power in their hands they’re practically giving them bank transfers!

Please take the time to read these and understand the extent of incompetence of this agency that is designed to ‘protect’ our health and well being in regards to the safety and regulation of medicines.

Faulty breast implants, dodgy drugs and a watchdog that's failing patients | Daily Mail Online
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Aboutus/TransparencyData/index.htm

God bless

Signed it. We know what is coming, the big pharma companies trying to shaft us consumers, fuck em I say

Thanks a lot Gerrard, every sig counts! Exactly that! And so many people are still adopting ostrich tactics with the whole situation, if we don’t stand now its just gonna get kicked under the rug!

[quote]RSGZ wrote:
Here is a list of what we can say goodbye to:

Yohimbe
Yohimbine Hcl (most US fat burners)
Sida Cordifolia
Milk Thistle
Coleus Forskolii/ Forskolin
Carulluma Evodia (Evodiamine) (mainly us fat burners)
Gugglesterones
Tribulus
Uva Ursi
Valerian
Hoodia
White Willow
Rauwolfia/Rauwolscine (Alphaburn, Alpha-T2).
1,3 Dimethylamylamine (Jack3d, Hemo Rage Black, Dexaprine)
Synephrine
Citrus Aurantium (Hyper FX, Maximize v2)
Salix Alba
GABA (HGH Pro)
Melatonin (most sleep aids)
Tongkat Ali
Horny Goat Weed
Epimedium or Icariin (Activate Xtreme, Hemavol)
Eurycoma Longifolia boswellia (X-Factor Advanced)
Carbolin 19
Gymnema Sylvestre
Clary Sage
Commiphora Mukul

What’s funny is that the MHRA is funded by… pharmaceutical companies. They’ll be able to afford the licenses and sell their products solely, at their own prices.

Stay classy, twats.
[/quote]
Good for you guys… this is actually great news. If pharma is producing your supps then you will actually be guaranteed purity. I don’t know if anybody else saw the 2010 July issue of consumer report? More regulation is needed as a lot of supps contain A LOT of bad stuff!!!
Assuming that just because big pharma is big business and they therefor don’t have any good intentions in mind is a logical fallacy at best.

[quote]Tech-Junkie wrote:

[quote]RSGZ wrote:
Here is a list of what we can say goodbye to:

Yohimbe
Yohimbine Hcl (most US fat burners)
Sida Cordifolia
Milk Thistle
Coleus Forskolii/ Forskolin
Carulluma Evodia (Evodiamine) (mainly us fat burners)
Gugglesterones
Tribulus
Uva Ursi
Valerian
Hoodia
White Willow
Rauwolfia/Rauwolscine (Alphaburn, Alpha-T2).
1,3 Dimethylamylamine (Jack3d, Hemo Rage Black, Dexaprine)
Synephrine
Citrus Aurantium (Hyper FX, Maximize v2)
Salix Alba
GABA (HGH Pro)
Melatonin (most sleep aids)
Tongkat Ali
Horny Goat Weed
Epimedium or Icariin (Activate Xtreme, Hemavol)
Eurycoma Longifolia boswellia (X-Factor Advanced)
Carbolin 19
Gymnema Sylvestre
Clary Sage
Commiphora Mukul

What’s funny is that the MHRA is funded by… pharmaceutical companies. They’ll be able to afford the licenses and sell their products solely, at their own prices.

Stay classy, twats.
[/quote]
Good for you guys… this is actually great news. If pharma is producing your supps then you will actually be guaranteed purity. I don’t know if anybody else saw the 2010 July issue of consumer report? More regulation is needed as a lot of supps contain A LOT of bad stuff!!!
Assuming that just because big pharma is big business and they therefor don’t have any good intentions in mind is a logical fallacy at best.
[/quote]

It was speculation on my part that they would be.

Even still, I cannot see how this is great news. What if they do, and effectively double the prices?

They’ve even banned Rhodiola Rosea - how is that harmful to anyone, in anyway?

No offense, well to be honest I don’t really care if I offend you Tech but you are a fool if you believe that.

Issue 1 - profile the MHRA’s history and their earnings and then profile the amount of profit pharma make

Issue 2 - find me one substance that is produced in relevant and useful quantities at an affordable price for our specific market, I.e bodybuilding

Issue 3 - they have deemed them illegal with no science behind their decision and stated it has nothing to do with personal safety and is based on the issue they can and they will classify them as medicines (more info here http://blog.predatornutrition.com/2012/03/01/mhra-update-local-mp-fights-our-corner/). The studies promoting the safety of said substances are irrelevant in their eyes, including the most recent study done on DMAA in regards to USP Labs’ OxyElite.

Please take your head out the sand, if you believe that a third party agency hired by the government, with free reign over legality of any substance we can buy and ingest with members earning as much as the Prime Minister and to boot a long history of being close to the pharma industry with a LOT of dirt against them aren’t out to take advantage of popular substances that have the potential to make profit - you are severely misguided in your opinions.

signed… never used anything on the list so far but ridicilious all the same.

Thanks a lot Jake, every sig counts! This is exactly it, it doesn’t matter if you use them or pre-wo’s or not the point is your liberty of choice has been robbed. What extent does it go to unless we raise a voice? Will it get to the extent where all we have is heavily taxed fast food chains? Who knows!

[quote]WMD_UK wrote:
Thanks a lot Jake, every sig counts! This is exactly it, it doesn’t matter if you use them or pre-wo’s or not the point is your liberty of choice has been robbed. What extent does it go to unless we raise a voice? Will it get to the extent where all we have is heavily taxed fast food chains? Who knows![/quote]

I count VAT @ 20% as everything already heavily taxed… but I digress…

Indeed however you never know which individuals in positions of power have shares or will have shares in which business, no or in the future, for example the MHRA surprisingly own Maximuscle and I’m guessing its not just by shear coincidence that they are advertised as being the British national sports teams’ ‘brand of choice’ when it comes to sports supplements and a look into their price range supports the idea that the MHRA’s motives are money orientated.

My view is if the government is aware of this and has hired them as our medical substance control agency and is prepared to let them make decisions as such then the extent of their obscene decision making has all the potential to escalade even further and with the fast food industry being a huge bacon maker (and seller, queue crickets) control and enforcement of that could leave them pretty well off in pocket.

By no means am I saying that’s at all what they are aiming towards (I’m don’t spend my Sundays pouring over David Iche DVDs) as that would be a pretty extreme conspiracy theory but hey, we’ve been shocked by far bigger things than that in the past few years in terms of government and politics!

Very true. I was thinking we were pretty reasonable regarding supplements laws over here until this, so I really would prefer for it to stay that way!

Compared to some countries like Switzerland and some other EU countries yeah, but look at their economies and unemployment rates and see where that line of decision making has gotten them. It won’t last but people have to stand up to make a difference, I shouldn’t have to shell out £300 on pre-wo’s for the rest of the year (haters gon’ hate, I like my stims).