Category Archives: Food

Civil Society Hearing on Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill, ANU 24 Jan 2017

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Dr Ken Harvey

The Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) has tried to bypass the Senate Committee system on the Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2017 Measures No.1) Bill by arguing that it was non-controversial! Which it certainly is not regarding its provisions for advertising and complementary … Continue reading →

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U3A Melbourne City Short Course – Complementary Medicine: Exploring the Issues

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Dr Ken Harvey

Healthy growth, healthy people? The value of sales of Australian complementary medicines (CM) has doubled from $2.3 billion to $4.7 billion in just over three years. This corresponds to a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 26.9% compared to the 1.7% … Continue reading →

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Souvenaid update

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Dr Ken Harvey

A recent NPS review is relevant: http://www.nps.org.au/health-professionals/health-news-evidence/2014/souvenaid Also, I understand that the subsidy of Souvenaid was considered at a recent meeting of the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Reference Committee (RPRC). I have yet to be informed of the outcome. Finally, I am … Continue reading →

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Souvenaid again

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Dr Ken Harvey

In a media release dated Sept 10, 2013 Nutrica claimed that the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) has announced reimbursement of Souvenaid. I wrote to the Secretariat of the DVA Repatriation Pharmaceutical Reference Committee asking on what grounds this product was this product put … Continue reading →

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Pharmacist (Gerald Quigley) inappropriately promotes Betaglucare (7 Today Tonight)

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Dr Ken Harvey

A colleague asked me how to deal with the claims made for this product in a recent Channel 7 Today Tonight segment, “Tips to lower cholesterol”, featuring pharmacists Gerald Quigley and Lesley Braun. The video voice-over noted that 1 in … Continue reading →

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Souvenaid update

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Dr Ken Harvey

Martijn B. Katan PhD, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition, Dept of Health Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam has written a review of this product for the Dutch Medical Journal (Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde). The author has kindly provided an English translation. His review complements my own concerns previous … Continue reading →

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Regulations around food-medicine products fail to protect consumers

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Dr Ken Harvey

The Souvenaid® case. by

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Food manufacturers forced to prove health claims?

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Dr Ken Harvey

http://www.pharmacynews.com.au/opinion/food-manufacturers-forced-to-prove-health-claims In this article, Kos Sclavos, Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president, noted, “General level health claims can be supported by either FSANZ pre-approved claims or industry self-substantiated food-health relationships. High level health claims will require pre-approval by FSANZ.” Self-substantiation … Continue reading →

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