http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31719136/ns/health-more_health_news/

It looks like the big food companies are at it again, lobbying to have foods labeled as organic even though may have synthetic substances in them or were grown using pesticides or for meat and poultry fed non-organic feed.

Thanks to big food lobbyists and certain employees of the FDA things that you & I would consider to be bad, synthetic, pesticides etc are getting exemptions. This allows the big companies like Kraft to have a bigger piece of the organics market. It also means they can charge less for their "organic" foods than what the small producers, who raise, grow and sell real organic foods, So once again the little guy is getting squeezed out of the market by the big companies who only care about the bottom line.

What can we do? Contact your representative and raise hell. Try to buy locally grown fruits, vegetables and meat wherever possible and read the labels!

Here are some excerpts:

".....The original law's mandate for annual pesticide testing was also never implemented — the agency left that optional.

From the beginning, farmers and consumer advocates were concerned about safeguarding the organic label. In 2003, Arthur Harvey, who grows organic blueberries in Maine, successfully sued the USDA, arguing that the fledgling National Organic Program had violated federal law by allowing synthetic additives.

"The big boys like Kraft realized they could really cash in by filling the shelves with products with the organics seal," Harvey said. "But they were sort of inhibited by the original law that said no synthetic ingredients."

His victory was short-lived. The Organic Trade Association, which represents corporations such as Kraft, Dole and Dean Foods, lobbied for and received language in a 2006 appropriations bill allowing certain synthetic food substances in the preparation, processing and packaging of organic foods, creating conditions for a flood of processed organic foods."

"..... broadening the law has helped meet demand by multiplying the number of organic products and greatly expanded the amount of agricultural land that is being managed organically.

".We don't want to eliminate anyone who wants to be a part of the organic community," Harding said. "The growth we've seen has helped the entire organic food chain.""

".....Robinson determined that farmers could feed organic livestock non-organic fish meal, which can contain mercury and PCBs. The law requires that animals that produce organic meat be raised entirely on organic feed.

After sharp protests from Leahy, Consumers Union and other groups, Ann Veneman, then agriculture secretary, rescinded these and two other directives issued by Robinson."

 

 

Bottom Line - Big Food and Big Pharma and most government officials don't give a sh*t about what you want, only what they can do to line their pockets.

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment

Name: Email:  do not notifynotify Website: Title: UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge     Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.20

3.20 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."