Today, the parliament discussed the need to verify the claim that 88% of natural health products (NHPs) are substandard or misleadingly labelled. The approach used by Health Canada is flawed, and a randomized approach would be preferable. Overall, the key points are that Health Canada has failed in its duty to ensure the safety of NHPs, and a more effective approach is needed.
The government wants to ensure that NHPs can be used safely and are not the subject of false claims. Bill C-26 (Vanessa’s Law) gives Health Canada additional tools to take swift action if marketed products are deemed unsafe, including mandating product recalls and label revisions.
The bill aims to address concerns about deficient manufacturing practices that result in product contamination, misleading advertising and labelling, and lack of power for Health Canada to enforce recalls and remove dangerous NHPs from the market. The government argues that Vanessa’s Law will help ensure public health and safety by allowing for swift action against unsafe products, while also protecting compliant companies and products.
It is imperative that the government takes a more effective approach to ensuring the safety of NHPs, rather than relying on a flawed system. By verifying claims and implementing stricter regulations, Health Canada can better protect Canadians from potentially harmful products.