July 05, 2018
Rongoa protected in health supplement bill
The New Zealand Wellness Association says a new bill covering health supplements will make it easier to advise consumers on alternative treatments such as rongoā Māori.
The Food (Health Supplements) Amendment Bill introduced by New Zealand First MP Mark Patterson will allow suppliers to make evidence-backed therapeutic health claims as long as they disclose the level of evidence that supports the claim, based on a 10-level reliability scale.
Association general manager Joanne Bisset says that will remove the current absurd situation where New Zealand companies can’t advertise the proven and accepted benefits of health supplements, such as kawakawa for treating anxiety, vitamin C for treating colds, and St John’s Wort for treating depression.
There will be an exemption from the new manufacturing and labeling requirements for practitioners such as Rongoā Māori practitioners, to ensure that the public retains access to traditional products.
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