How many of you are aware that from April 2011, we will no longer have the freedom to choose 'natural health products' thousands of beneficial natural foods, herbs, products and suppplements, currently on the market today, proven safe and effective for centuries and still commonly used, may be banned or removed from stores and lost forever. Plus the potency of those remaining could be drastically reduced. Even worse, the majority of cultural foods and practices from non-european countries will be banned from entering the UK.

Our Government has approved EU legislations to restrict the above products unless they are regulated and licensed. If I wish to take responsibility for my own health by supplementing it with health foods, I feel I should have the freedom and choice to do just that. Not be dictated to by faceless EU bureaucracies. As far as I am aware, no fatalities have made front-page news from anyone having an adverse reaction to herbal supplements. Yes! Some herbs should not be taken together with certain prescribed medications. Surely this is easily remedied by a clear warning on the product label.

From April 2011, the remaining unlicensed products must be regulated and licensed with the Government regulators, Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency - MHRA. Even cosmetics and products such as herbal shampoos will not be exempt from this scrutiny.

The good news is, health foods manufactured before April of this year, which have not been regulated, can still be sold for up to three years after the legislation comes into force. Most of these products have a two year shelf life.

What concerns me about yet another loss of freedom, is the double standards adopted by our Lords and Masters here!!! Each new license issued by the MHRA will bring revenue into the Government's coffers. This in turn will force up the price to the consumer.

In stark contrast to this, does the Government together with the EU, give a damn about the NHS admitting that more people leave hospital malnourished, than are admitted in a malnourished state. Or Cystic Fibrosis patients who have impaired digestive sytems which require a high calorie, high fat diet to help ward off infections, and whose dietary needs are not met when admitted to hospital. Or elderly patients left to go hungry, out of reach of their food, yet inspite of this, 43% of NHS Trusts have cut their spending on patient food.

Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and a nurse in the NHS for 25 years, was quoted as saying, " Sit the responsibility where it lies with the NHS Trusts." She goes on to say, " The GP led NHS will make a difference to patient food. When doctors see what patients are getting, versus what they need nutritionally." I presume she meant 'doctors' as in GPs. But I was always under the impression that hospitals are the favourite haunt of doctors, anyway. I wouldn't hold your breath Minister, you may die waiting, and anyway the Government can't make any money out of patient's hospital food.

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