2. Many foods have medicinal properties, for example, garlic, licorice and ginger. Ever more frequently, these healthy foods are being viewed as drugs by the drug companies and international regulatory organizations, such as Codex. The drug companies stand to gain enormous profits if a food can only be sold via prescription as patented drugs. Codex sets international nutritional health standards and regulates United Nations member countries' food standards. Drug companies are strongly represented at Codex meetings, but the natural health care industry and the general public are not represented.