b'at Codex so important? Once thisupon two issues: (1) advancing (oreveryone that, with all due respect zilpaterolCodexstandardisad- not advancing) the zilpaterol stan- toJECFA,NHFhadalwayshad opted, then yet another toxic drugdard from Step 7 to Step 8; and (2)aproblemwiththeriskassess-can flood the world markets vir- once that threshold was reached,ments conducted on the vet drug tually unobstructed. Merck couldorbreached,thenfinaladoptionand did not accept them as valid. thenforcetheEuropeanUnion,at the very final Step 8. I know itEncouraged by our lone attack on Russia,China,Switzerland,Nor- sounds repetitive, but that is howJECFA science, Thailand then took way, and all those other countriesCodex thinks, and works. the floor to state that it, too, had who voted against it to open theirButfirsttheChairmanwant- concerns. The other delegations re-markets to zilpaterol-tainted meated to establish with the Commis- mained mute.as well. And Merck would only besion members that the JECFA riskNonplussed,theChairman richer. assessmentonzilpaterolwassu- pushed on with his agenda. Are The Chairman of the Commis- preme. He asked the members tothereanyobjections,heasked, sion, Mr. Steve Wearnewho, byaccept that the science was sol- toadvancingthe[zilpaterol] the way, has a real talent for run- id. No one said a wordexceptMRLs[maximumresiduelevels] ning meetingsquickly had thefor NHF.to Step 8?CommissionmembersfocusedIaskedforthefloorandtoldMany member states spoke out 14 H ealtHF reedomN ews /w iNter2023'