Organic Foods and Natural Health

All Jacked Up - The Movie about Food that Food Companies Hope You Won't Find Out About

2008-05-19T15:12:00.001-04:00

Interview with the producer of All Jacked Up, Jennifer Mattox:

Bobby Rice and Mike Adams, aka The Health Ranger - Excerpt from All Jacked Up:

Cloned Meat and Milk Coming to a Store Near You!

2008-02-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

With meat and milk from cloned animals expected to be allowed into the U.S. food supply in a matter of months, and their offspring already permitted, consumers have two choices.

CANDACE DOBSON/ViaGen

These bulls were cloned from Panhandle Slim, the 1997 Professional Bull Riders bucking bull of the year. Cloning advocates say cloned animals are to be used for breeding, not eating, and that it's unlikely a cloned animal would reach the food supply.

They can ignore the controversy and chow down with abandon, or they can quiz each of their grocery stores, restaurants and dinner hosts about their policy on using food developed with cloning.

That's because, unless Congress intervenes, regulators have decided that the products require no special labeling.

USDA revamps organic standards body

2008-02-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

The body that monitors organic standards in the US is to be restructured, the US Department of Agriculture has announced.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), an office of the USDA, is reorganizing the National Organic Program into three branches - accreditation, auditing & training; and compliance & enforcement.

Lloyd Day, administrator of AMS, which oversees the programme, said it had been experiencing growing pains along with the organic industry. "This new year brings an opportunity to make changes in the programme to keep up with growth in the organic industry," he added.

Advice for Worried Pet Owners -- What's the Safest Food for Your Dog or Cat?

2007-03-27T20:13:00.000-04:00

Advice for Worried Pet Owners -- What's the Safest Food for Your Dog or Cat?: "I understand that people are scared," said Dr. Tony Buffington, DMV, Ph.D, a professor at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. People are upset and I appreciate that."

snip.

Another quote regarding making your own pet foods:

'These recipes are all generally fine, but certainly home-cooked diets are not created with the care that these commercial pet foods are,' he said. 'Commercial pet foods for dogs and cats are designed by Ph.D. nutritionists. There are very few humans that have diets that are designed by Ph.D. nutritionists.'"

Reeeeeeally Dr.Buffington? Methinks thou hast not read "Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Foods." By Ann N. Martin. NewSage Press (1997).

I just put an excerpt from this book on my Organic Foods Mom website here. It's one thing to measure the protein and other nutrients in the rendered meat meal, or meat and bone meal to seemingly balance the finished product. It's quite another once you understand where the meat and bone meals come from.

From the book excerpt at my site above:

"At the rendering plant, slaughterhouse material, restaurant and supermarket refuse, dead stock, road kill, and euthanized companion animals are dumped into huge containers. A machine slowly grinds the entire mess. After it is chipped or shredded, it is cooked at temperatures of between 220 degrees F. and 270 degrees F. (104.4 to 132.2 degrees C.) for twenty minutes to one hour.

The grease or tallow rises to the top, where it is removed from the mixture. This is the source of animal fat in most pet foods. The remaining material, the raw, is then put into a press where the moisture is squeezed out. We now have meat and bone meal."

Read the whole excerpt at my website. I have a recipe for dog and cat foods along with some guidlines about the specific needs of each if you'd like a copy just contact me.

Tracy

~~~

I market an organic product for people with wrist and joint pain like I had, who don't want to take drugs or have surgery. http://www.tracyaustin.com/ Similar product for pets and horses coming April 1st.

Mad Cow - This is your brain on meat

2007-03-26T16:41:00.000-04:00

This is your brain on meat: "How safe are Americans from being exposed to the human variant of mad cow disease? In France, a nation with only 5.7 million cows, 20,000 are tested each week with 153 found infected in the year 2000. Out of the nearly 40 million U.S. cattle slaughtered annually, only about 1000 are tested. You do the math.

Kirchheimer concludes: 'The growing number of British victims of 'new variant' CJD, mostly young people in their prime who contracted the brain sickness from tainted meat, is a grim precursor to an uncertain future.'"

I posted recently On my http://www.organic-foods-mom.com/organic-foods-blog.html blog about how the USDA has recently chosen to test fewer cattle, (as of March 1, 2007) not more.

Tracy

~~~

I market a product for people who have writst and joint pain like I did, but who don't want to take drugs or have surgery. http://www.tracyaustin.com

Decoding the 39 Ingredients in a Twinkie - Newsweek Health - MSNBC.com

2007-03-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

Decoding the 39 Ingredients in a Twinkie - Newsweek Health - MSNBC.com:

"March 5, 2007 issue - As Steve Ettlinger dropped down a Wyoming mine shaft, plummeting 1,600 feet in an open-mesh cage, he wondered how many other food writers had ever donned hard hats and emergency breathing equipment in pursuit of a story. But it was too late to turn back. He'd promised his editor a book tracing the ingredients in a Hostess Twinkie to their origins—and one of them was down this shaft. "

I was just shopping for a birthday present for a friend of my daughter when I spied this title on the shelf. I used to read Stephen King for a good scare, but now this is more my kind of horror novel. I am so into this sort of thing. People have no idea what goes into processed foods. No idea...

Including me for that matter. What the heck goes into Twikies from down that mine shaft?? I gotta know!

Tracy

www.OrganicFoodsMom.com

Honeybees Dying

2007-03-21T17:37:00.000-04:00

Weekly Reader Lead Story Honeybee Woes:

"'One third of the food you and I eat every day can be traced back to honeybees,' says Hayes. 'If the honeybees aren't there, the grower doesn't have any options. If you don't have honeybees to carry pollen from one crop to another, you get zero crops.' "

Here's a map of the states reporting honeybee loses so far:
http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pressReleases/CCDMap07FebRev1-.jpg

"Every third bite you take is backed up by a honeybee," Webb points out. "Without bees, we wouldn't eat very well."

"If we didn't have honeybees, we wouldn't have any fruit or hardly any veggies," adds local beekeeper Jo Haugland, one of Webb's former students.

"Until you corner her, step on her or grab her, she's not going to sting," Cochran says. "She's busy doing her job."

In fact, says Webb, the sting is a suicidal last act that only about one in 10,000 honeybees will ever commit. Most stings, he notes, are not from bees at all; wasps, hornets and yellow jackets are the usual culprits.

"People blame everything on bees, but they do so much good," Webb says.

"Honeybees take a bad rap," Haugland adds. "They're industrious, clean, organized and interesting. They're completely focused. You can even walk up to a honeybee that's collecting pollen and pet it on the back, they're that intent."

'Tis true. Try it. Reach out to the honeybee sipping nectar from a bud and ever so gently, stroke her furry back just between the resting, lacy wings. She may startle and move to another flower. Or, she may continue suckling, sides heaving gently, as she communes with her flower and you with your bee.

Read more here.

From the American Beekeeping Federation, ABF:

Reports on their losses coming from beekeepers vary widely. Some commercial beekeepers are reporting their losses as about the same as the last several years. Others report losing thousands of colonies: one lost 11,000 of his 13,000 colonies; another 700 of 900; another 2500 of 3500; another virtually all of his 10,000.

“Beekeepers overwintering in the north many not know the status of their colonies until they are able to make early spring inspections. This should occur in late February or early March but is dependent on weather conditions. Regardless, there is little doubt that honey bees are going to be in short supply this spring and possibly into the summer."

Please visit www.OrganicFoodsmom.com/honeybees.html for more info.

DIRLINE National Library of Medicine

2007-03-17T10:42:00.000-04:00

DIRLINE National Library of Medicine

The National Library of Medicine's DIRLINE (Directory of Health Organizations) now offers an A to Z list of 8,500+ organizations concerned with health and biomedicine.

DIRLINE can also be searched for specific topics:http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/

Y0u'll find contacnt info and websites for both conventional and alternative therapies.

Tracy

~~~

www.OrganicFoodsMom.com

The Case Against Cloning

2007-03-08T12:25:00.000-05:00

How do you feel about the cloning of animals for human consumption? I'm with Jerry Greenfield. I think it's weird and want no part of the experiment that it will become if this stuff makes it into the supermarkets. Or worse, into the supermarkets unlabeled. Aren't we already being covertly sold enough food that's been messed with? (irradiated, genetically modified...)

Tracy

The Case Against Cloning

While the FDA says food from clones is safe, politicians and activists are waging a battle to stop or restrict government approval
by Pallavi Gogoi

Ben & Jerry's Homemade has built a reputation not only for selling quality ice cream, but also for championing environmental and social causes. So it's hardly a surprise that one of its founders, Jerry Greenfield, is leading the charge against cloning. He says that Ben & Jerry's, owned by Unilever (UL), may soon put labels on its ice cream guaranteeing that it comes from clone-free herds. "Putting cloned animals and their milk in our food supply is just weird, and people don't want it," says Greenfield.

It's a topic of much debate these days. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is in the midst of a public-comment period on whether to allow meat and milk from cloned animals into the country's food supply. The FDA has said that its preliminary conclusion is that such products are safe for consumption, though it is accepting outside comment on the issue through Apr. 2.

"Based on FDA's analysis of hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and other studies on the health and food composition of clones and their offspring, the draft risk assessment has determined that meat and milk from clones and their offspring are as safe as food we eat every day," says Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Enter the Legislators

Many agricultural companies are enthusiastic about the promise of cloning (see BusinessWeek.com, 3/7/07, "The Man Behind the Cloning Movement"). But plenty of other companies are scrambling to distance themselves from the controversy. Organic and natural food retailers like Whole Foods Market (WFMI) and Wild Oats Markets (OATS), milk processors Dean Foods (DF) and Organic Valley, and other companies have said they will reject any meat and milk that comes from cloned animals.

Legislation has already been proposed in Congress to demand that the food be labeled as coming from clones and to bar them from ever entering the organic food stream. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced one such bill in the House. And on Jan. 31, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) proposed her Cloned Food Labeling Act, a similar bill. "The American people don't want this. They find it repugnant," says Mikulski.

Mikulski has the majority of Americans on her side. A 2005 Gallup poll found that 61% of Americans believe it is morally wrong to clone animals, and the Pew Initiative on Food & Biotechnology found that 66% of Americans are uncomfortable with animal cloning.

FDA Hears It From Citizens

While the FDA says the science behind cloning is sound, people's trust in the administration has dwindled in recent years. A Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll conducted in May reveals that 70% of U.S. adults are skeptical of the FDA's ability to ensure the safety and efficacy of new prescription drugs, especially after the Vioxx and Celebrex recalls. "The FDA has told us this before," says Mikulski. "We were told DDT was safe, we were told Thalidomide was safe, we were told Vioxx was safe. What if the FDA has made a mistake and finds out a few years from now there is a problem (with cloned food)?"

In the two months since the FDA's preliminary conclusion on cloning, consumers have filed more than 3,000 comments on the subject. Most say the FDA should not allow the meat and milk into the market without labeling. "The risk to citizens forced to consume products from cloned animals is unknown and should not be approved," says consumer Stephen Ziffer. Jenny Bunch says: "I do not want to be a testing lab and will not knowingly buy cloned products for my family." And Ledia Elraheb doesn't like the idea of scientists trying to bestow life. "God is the only creator," she says.

Cloning technology isn't perfect, something biotech companies are the first to admit. The most common early defect is a condition known as large-offspring syndrome. Those clones are born larger than normal, leading to difficult births for the mother cows. Also, the calves have trouble breathing in their first few weeks. These problems, however, are typically not passed on to the next generation when clones have their own offspring through natural reproduction.

"Don't Mess with Bessie"

The science is very new. The first cow, Amy, was cloned in 1999. In 2001 just 2% to 4% of the cows implanted with cloned embryos gave birth to calves. Today, the rate of success has risen to as much as 17% to 20%, says Steve Mower, director of marketing at Cyagra in Elizabethtown, Pa.

Organic foods almost certainly won't include any milk or meat from cloned animals, because the animals don't meet the organic labeling guidelines set by the government. To ensure that's the case, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Feb. 8 introduced legislation to bar products that are produced from cloned livestock from receiving an organic food label.

Jerry Greenfield and other activists are determined to do what they can to stop the advance of cloning. Last month, he led a rally of 100 people in Washington, D.C., protesting against the technology. Some people dressed up as cows "mooing" to show their "udder" disapproval of cloned products. Others held up signs that read "Got MLIK?" and "Don't Mess With Bessie." Says Greenfield, "Cloning is a very frightening idea to many Americans."

Join Mission Organic 2010. Pledge Now to Buy Organic.

2007-03-06T20:18:00.001-05:00

Mission Organic 2010 is the coolest thing to happen to food since some wonderful person opened the first natural foods co-op. Read on for more.
~~~
Even though the market for organic products has experienced tremendous growth in the last decade, only three percent of the food now purchased in the U.S. is organic.
But you can change that. Join Mission Organic and pledge to buy at least one organic item for every ten purchased.

With support from you and others, the amount of organic food consumed will skyrocket to 10% by 2010. As sales of organic products increase, more and more farmland will be converted to organic agriculture. And more households will be introduced to organic alternatives.

The day is approaching where organic food choices will no longer be the exception. They’ll be the norm.

~~~

Tracy

The Organic Foods Mom

Organic Wines Reviewed

2007-02-27T15:57:00.000-05:00

Organic labels merit a taste: "The government seems to warn us about everything these days, and wine is no exception. I've already written my opinion about the "Contains sulfites" hoo-ha.

I think the government warning label should read something like this: 'Do not consume too much, too often, in the morning, at work, in the hot tub or while driving. Do not drink if you're on a first date, if you're pregnant or if you're both. Do not drink if you're prone to substance abuse or if you're an airline pilot. And if you're the captain of a supertanker, lay off the Port until you're in one. By all means don't drink if you're prone to doing stupid things like taunting a raging bull, running naked through the streets or going hunting with your buddies.'

Now, one of the things you will find on a wine bottle label that makes sense is an organic designation. Organic farming and winemaking are practiced by people who care: They care about the taste, they care about their workers and they care about the environment.

Be sure to note that many of the wines in California source grapes come from organically farmed vineyards but aren't labeled as such because in the past organic wines tucked back on store shelves with the kosher and the non-alcoholic selections. This is changing rapidly as the organic revolution continues its march. Spread a little sunshine of your own and drink organic. All wines reviewed were purchased at Wild Oats. Find Valley locations at www.wildoats.com.

2004 BuenaVentura Sauvignon Blanc, Lontue Valley, Chile ($13.99, not pictured) - This is another low alcohol (12.5 percent) wine recommendation for 2007. It's made with organic grapes, and the color is a superpale platinum yellow. The aroma is a little gun-smoky with melon and an herbal touch to the finish. The taste is full, ripe and rich. The finish has enough tartness to please any Sauvignon Blanc lover. 84 points.

2004 Nuevomundo Sauvignon Blanc, Reserva, D.O. Isla de Maipo, Chile ($16.99) - Also made with organic grapes, this is almost colorless, a pale silver with the slightest hint of straw. The wine has a light ripe pineapple aroma, a little oxidized. It has a nice level of fruit concentration and tartness. 75 points.

2004 Badger Mountain N.S.A. Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Wash. ($14.99) - The blue bottle is weird. This is an organic wine, so it has no added sulfites. The color is a rich, golden, deeply-colored yellow. The aroma is focused and tight. The taste is very balanced, smooth, pleasant and delightfully rich. 88 points.

True Earth Chardonnay, Mendocino, Calif. ($13.49) - This wine is made with organic grapes, and the color is a dull dishwater-yellow. Nevertheless, the aroma is a steely focus of melon and citrus fruit, and the taste is bold and expressive, with a nice creamy richness in the finish. 89 points.

2004 Sonop Merlot, Western Cape, South Africa ($15.99) - This wine is proud to announce that it's vegan. It is a dark amber and ruby red, and the aroma is nice and bright with raspberries and earth tones. The taste is big, dry and bold. The fruit is way in the background, but if you like a simple "Right Bank" Bordeaux, you'll love this. 87 points.

2005 Badger Mountain N.S.A. Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Wash. ($19.49) - Again, no added sulfites. It's a kind of expensive number so it's too bad they had to use an old Blue Nun bottle. Inside, the color is vibrant ruby with a vermillion and purple hue. The aroma has some fruit somewhere, but I'm having a hard time identifying it except that it's on the ripe side of things. The taste is dry, with tight currant fruit. It's a sturdy wine, good for that next organic barbecued steak dinner. 86 points.

True Earth Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petite Syrah, Mendocino, California ($13.49, not pictured) - This wine is made with organic grapes. It's a lovely, deep royal red with a grippy, dry and earthy aroma. The taste is lovely and balanced, a restrained wine. I recommend it if you like dry European-style reds. 89 points.

2004 Nuevomundo Cabernet/Malbec, D.O. Isla de Maipo, Chile ($17.99) -This wine is made with organic grapes. The color is a stunning velvety-rich robe of deep red. The aroma is shy but confident with dark currant fruit and earthiness. The taste is very Bordeaux-like in that it's classic earth, wood and thick, dark-skinned currants. I like this. 90 points.

Another screw-top plus: Wineries that choose to seal the deal with screw caps use less sulfur to stabilize the wines."

Reach Tarbell, owner of Tarbell's restaurant in Phoenix, at wine@tarbells.com.

YouTube - Pesticides & Human Experimentation

2007-02-18T20:53:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Pesticides & Human Experimentation

Please watch this and spread the word to your friends.

Tracy

~~~~

Organic milk supply seen spiking in 2007

2007-02-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

Organic milk supply seen spiking in 2007: "The supply of organic milk is expected to spike in 2007 due to a one-year grace period on a federal rule change that mandates dairy farmers use 100 percent organic feed.
For years, farmers looking to move to organic milk have been able to feed cows 80 percent organic feed and 20 percent conventional feed in the year before they become certified as organic farmers -- an allowance that brought transition costs down since organic feed can be 40 to 50 percent more expensive.
But last June, the Department of Agriculture mandated that starting in one year, farmers would have to use 100 percent organic feed in that final transition year to become certified."

Interesting. So this means that the milk being called organic now is from cows whose feed was only 80% organic.

I'm glad at least to see this ruling getting stronger rather than weaker.

Tracy

~~~~~

Your stem cells would love to help you feel better, but they need some help getting around in there. Give them a fighting chance.

Can Food From Cloned Animals Be Called Organic? - washingtonpost.com

2007-02-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

Can Food From Cloned Animals Be Called Organic? - washingtonpost.com

From the article:

"One of the principles of organic production is to encourage biodiversity," said Sligh, who was on the committee that drafted the organic rule in 2000. Without a doubt, Sligh said, the mass production of genetically identical critters runs counter to that.

How do you feel about eating cloned animals meat and drinking their milk? What if it was ok to call all of it organic? Does 'cloned organic meat' or 'cloned organic milk' sound appetizing to you?

Since the cloners are pretty smart, they will most likely drop this fight in order to not have to lable their products as "Made From Clones". If it is decided that organic means not from cloned animals then they can argue that, if people want to avoid cloned foods they can just go organic.

Another way for cloned food to end up on your dinner plate without your knowledge. Yum! Just like all of the genetically engineered foods everyone is eating without knowing it! The perfect pair!

Groups Protest Carbon Monoxide Use in Meat

2006-04-05T12:37:00.000-04:00

Groups Protest Carbon Monoxide Use in Meat:

"Berdahl said Tuesday that carbon monoxide-treated meat could be left on the kitchen counter for five days and would still look bright red and fresh. Carbon monoxide 'also suppresses bad odors and the presence of slime, other telltale signs that meat is spoiled,' Kalsec's petition said.

The petition said treated meat could hide the growth of pathogens such as Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and E. coli."

Chicago Tribune | City considers meat packaging ban

2006-04-05T12:34:00.001-04:00

Chicago Tribune City considers meat packaging ban

Packs of rotted hamburger were dropped on a table before Chicago aldermen Thursday as evidence that new packaging techniques used by some meat processors can mislead consumers about food safety.The city may ban the relatively new practice of using carbon monoxide, a highly toxic gas, to make even rotten meat look fresh.The American Meat Institute, an industry group that opposes the ban, said the gas is used only to remove oxygen from packages and actually gives the consumer a better tasting product.

snip

Chicago Tribune | City considers meat packaging ban

2006-04-05T12:34:00.000-04:00

cbs5.com - Wal-Mart Move To Organic Could Shake Retail World

2006-03-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

cbs5.com - Wal-Mart Move To Organic Could Shake Retail World

This is very interesting. I'm wondering what impact this will have on Certified Organic Standards as more product suppliers want a piece of the ever-increasing organic pie. Will agricultural interests be successful in weakening them? Or will this bring more awareness, and more insistence on tight standards?

http://www.OrganicFoodsMom.com

Kids Even More Vulnerable to Pesticides Than Previously Believed, Study Shows

2006-03-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

Kids Even More Vulnerable to Pesticides Than Previously Believed, Study Shows: "'Children are born with lower levels of our bodies' natural defenses against toxic pesticides,' said Dr. Gina Solomon, M.D., a physician and senior scientist at NRDC. 'Unfortunately, the officials responsible for keeping kids safe are ignoring the clear scientific evidence confirming that we need stronger protection for the most vulnerable among us.'"

snip

EPA banned chlorpyrifos and diazinon for household use in December 2001 and December 2002 respectively, largely due to their hazards to children, but allowed continued use on agricultural crops. More than 1.5 million pounds of chlorpyrifos were used in California in 2003. The top uses were on cotton, alfalfa, almonds and walnuts. More than 500,000 pounds of diazinon were used in California in 2003, mostly on lettuce, peaches, almonds, prunes and spinach. Nationwide, the organophosphate pesticides account for 70 percent of all insecticides used, with 73 million pounds sold in 2001

Vist Organic-Foods-Mom.com for more information on why organic foods are better for kids!

GE rice found in Heinz baby cereal in China: Greenpeace+

2006-03-14T19:08:00.000-05:00

GE rice found in Heinz baby cereal in China: Greenpeace+

"The result is truly shocking," Fung said. "This is the first time that illegal GE rice ingredients have been found in baby food products, a category that should be subject to the most stringent control."Selling GE food is illegal in China, which put into force the U.N. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in September last year. The protocol regulates international trade, handling and use of GE organisms.

U.S.'s DESPERATE EFFORTS UNLIKELY TO SUCCEED IN FORCING GM FOOD ACCEPTANCE

2006-02-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

GMWatch.org

People say "No" as WTO decision expected (6/2/2006)
Very good press release with multiple links at end to polls around the world that demonstrate that people do not want GM crops and foods and that even in the US the great majority want the choice through mandatory labelling.

WTO GMO decision expected tomorrow: Evidence shows the US's desperate efforts unlikely to succeed in forcing GM food acceptanceGeneWatch UK Press ReleaseMonday 6th February 2006 - for immediate release

Today, GeneWatch UK is publishing a summary of public attitudes research from around the world that has been collected since the WTO GMO dispute began in 2003. It shows public hostility to GM crops remains widespread and indicates that the tactics of the US and biotechnology industry are unlikely to succeed in opening markets for GM [1]. The opinion poll and research findings come from a wide spread of countries, including South Africa, China, Japan, Mali, Canada and Europe. They demonstrate that people remain unconvinced about GM crops and foods and, even in the US, the great majority want the choice through mandatory labelling.

The Center for Food Safety - Genetically Engineered Food

2006-02-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

The Center for Food Safety - Genetically Engineered Food: "Currently, up to 45 percent of U.S. corn is genetically engineered as is 85 percent of soybeans. It has been estimated that 70-75 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves--from soda to soup, crackers to condiments--contain genetically engineered ingredients. "

You won't be able to tell from the labels though. The U.S. has no requirement that genetically modified food ingredients be listed on foods. It hasn't been safety tessted, either. If this pisses you off, too, please make your voice heard by filling out this short form to let the FDA know you want testing and labeling of GE food: http://ga3.org/campaign/labelandtestgefood

New Rules Govern Use of Data From Testing Pesticides on People

2006-02-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

New Rules Govern Use of Data From Testing Pesticides on People: "Erik D. Olson, a senior attorney at the advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council, said the new rules may lead to more pesticide testing on people because they will allow manufacturers to conduct 'observational tests' that monitor individuals' everyday exposure to toxic chemicals.
'We're going to have weaker public health protections, more pesticides on people's foods, and a huge increase in the number of unethical and unscientific studies using human beings as guinea pigs,' Olson said."

Japan Beef Ban Prompts U.S. Probe - Yahoo! News

2006-01-27T10:48:00.000-05:00

Japan Beef Ban Prompts U.S. Probe - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Friday the U.S. government is investigating a shipment of American beef to Japan that may have contained material considered at risk for mad cow disease, a discovery that prompted Japan to announce another halt to beef imports.

Johanns ordered several actions intended to reassure the Japanese.
'We take this matter very seriously,' the secretary said in a statement. 'We are in communication with Japanese officials and we will continue that dialogue to assure them that we take this matter very seriously and we are acting swiftly and firmly.'
Johanns said the plant that exported the meat in question is now barred from shipping more beef to Japan. He also said the government inspector who cleared the shipment may be disciplined, and that Agriculture Department investigators are being dispatched to Japan."

Sure they won't let that plant ship any more meat to Japan. But selling it in the U.S? Apparently that's just fine!

Solution? If you must eat beef, find a local farm and buy it from them. Locate a local farm here http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html CA,too

Or try here: http://www.newfarm.org/farmlocator/index.php

Kellogg to face lawsuit over �junk food� ads to kids

2006-01-18T19:43:00.000-05:00

Kellogg to face lawsuit over �junk food� ads to kids:

"�Nickelodeon and Kellogg engage in business practices that literally sicken our children. Their marketing tactics are designed to convince kids that everything they hear from their parents about food is wrong. It's a multimedia brainwashing and re-education campaign- and a disease-promoting one at that. And parents are fed up.� said CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson. "

New Scientist News - Doomsday vault to avert world famine

2006-01-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

This isn't exactly about organic foods, but interesting. I wonder if they are including any genetically modified seeds in any of the seed vaults? Seems like leaving them out would be a good idea to me.

New Scientist News - Doomsday vault to avert world famine

Combining food additives could harm nervous system, study

2006-01-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

Combining food additives could harm nervous system, study: "

21/12/2005 - The combination of common food additives could interfere with the development of the nervous system, raising new concerns about the health implications of children’s diets, according to a new report published today.

United Press International - NewsTrack - Demand rising for healthy, natural food

2006-01-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

United Press International - NewsTrack - Demand rising for healthy, natural food:

"The move to 'real' food has legs and will be around for quite a while,' Marc Halperin, director of the Center for Culinary Development in San Francisco, where major food companies turn for trends, told the New York Times"

2005 had its share of changes in the food industry

2005-12-28T20:06:00.000-05:00

2005 had its share of changes in the food industry:

"COOL, or country of origin labeling, became mandatory at seafood counters. The mandate gives consumers at-a-glance information about imported and domestic sources as well as whether fish has been 'previously frozen' or has 'color added.' The information includes whether the fish is wild-caught or farm-raised.

COOL is scheduled to apply to all produce in 2006."

Organic Valley Culminates 2005 with Launch of 'Generation Organic'

2005-12-28T12:36:00.000-05:00

Organic Valley Culminates 2005 with Launch of 'Generation Organic': "Commits to Save the American Family Farmer, an Endangered Species
Sets Sales Record of $245 Million

LAFARGE, Wis., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- 'Generation Organic,' a campaign to
save the family farmer from extinction by bringing new farmers into organic
agriculture, was announced today by Organic Valley Family of Farms, America's
largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the country's leading
national organic brands.
'Generation Organic is the 'Endangered Species Protection Act' for the
American family farmer. U.S. farmers have disappeared from the land at the
rate of "

Better Beef

2005-12-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

Better Beef:

"Grass-fed meat offers richer flavor and more nutrition.

Beef from a cow raised on pasture is even healthier for you than a chicken breast � the white meat that health authorities are so quick to recommend."

WHO | Foodborne diseases, emerging

2005-12-27T10:47:00.000-05:00

WHO | Foodborne diseases, emerging

Francis Thicke: How Now, Industrial Cow?

2005-12-26T21:25:00.000-05:00

Francis Thicke: How Now, Industrial Cow?:

"Pasture dairies make sense financially. Milk production per cow is less, but milk production per acre, when acres used to grow feed crops are included, is comparable. Studies at the University of Wisconsin show that grazing dairies are as profitable, or more profitable, than industrial dairies.

What's more, cows on pasture are healthier and live longer than those on a high-corn diet, which is not their natural food. And research is beginning to suggest that milk from grazing cows is more healthful because it has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene and conjugated linoleic acids -- substances that may be useful in helping to prevent heart disease or certain cancers.

Given all these benefits, it is time we get serious about focusing our agricultural research, education and government policy on farming that uses ecology as its guide. And we should begin requiring industrial agriculture to pay for the environmental costs that it imposes on our planet -- costs now borne by society as a whole or charged to future generations."

Bob Scowcroft: Bush's Squeeze on Organic Farmers

2005-12-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

Bob Scowcroft: Bush's Squeeze on Organic Farmers:

"The Organic Farming Research Foundation has determined that certified-organic land-grant university research acreage has grown from 151 acres in 2001 to just over 496 acres_this out of a massive 886,000 acres now dedicated to agricultural research.

Five years ago, OFRF published a report identifying the number of organic research projects funded by the USDA. After running 75 key words through the USDA's 30,000 agricultural research projects database, OFRF discovered 34 explicitly organic projects. That translates to barely over one-tenth of 1 percent of our publicly funded agricultural research projects specifically dedicated to organic production practices."

Joshua Frank: Organic Inconsistencies

2005-12-26T20:23:00.000-05:00

Joshua Frank: Organic Inconsistencies:

"As the organic food industry has matured, USDA standards have waned. Consumers can no longer be confidant that their foods meet organic standards, even if USDA gives it is green mark of approval. "

Ellinghuysen.com - 12/15/05 - Report: Organic Food Will Become Mainstream By 2025

2005-12-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Ellinghuysen.com - 12/15/05 - Report: Organic Food Will Become Mainstream By 2025:

"Strong government support will help boost the organics market, said the study, which also predicted that one challenge due to be faced by the industry will be consumer confusion about definitions around the organic labels. "

U.S. Consumers Shun Organic Foods Because Of Price

2005-12-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

U.S. Consumers Shun Organic Foods Because Of Price: "December 13, 2005
U.S. consumers are among the least likely shoppers from around the world to regularly purchase organic food and beverage products, according to a new online global survey from ACNielsen.

When asked about their purchasing of organic alternatives from 11 food and beverage categories, just six to 15 percent of U.S. consumers said they purchase such products regularly � well short of the average among consumers from all 38 markets included in the study.

Across all regions, the main reason for purchasing organic food and beverages is that consumers believe such products are healthier. The secondary reason cited by consumers in all regions except Europe is the perceived health benefits for the shoppers� children. In Europe, more people cited benefits for the environment as their secondary reason to purchase organics.

For those who never buy organic food or beverage products, which includes 40 to 72 percent of U.S. consumers, depending on the category, the main deterrent is price."

_______________

I'm one of the people in the second catagory. I've started buying organic food for my family, and am finding the meats taste better. Organic carrots are sweeter...there really is a noticeable difference (positive) in most everything I've tried, and I thought there wouldn't be.

And I find I am more aware of our food, since I paid a premium for it. for instance, I save peelings of carrots, celery and onions to use in stocks that I make from the organic chicken bones.

I feel I pay more attention to eating as well. And we are eating salads every night now that I'm paying more for the greens, lol! So yes, organic is more expensive, but worth it to this mom, in more ways that one!

Tracy~

Google Groups : misc.consumers

2005-12-23T20:02:00.000-05:00

This is a concern of mine. I'm going to look into just how we here in the US can know that what we are buying is truly organic.

Google Groups : misc.consumers

"Britain's organic food revolution was facing its first serious test
last night after an Observer investigation revealed disturbing levels
of fraud within the industry.

Farmers, retailers and food inspectors have disclosed a catalogue of
malpractice, including producers falsely passing off food as organic
and retailers failing to gain accreditation from independent
inspectors. The findings raise concerns that consumers paying high
premiums for organic food are being ripped off. "

Google Groups : Certified Organic Group

2005-12-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

Google Groups : Certified Organic Group

Excessive use of antibiotics by meat producers, 8 times more than in
human medicine, contributes to alarming increase in antibiotic
resistance

WASHINGTON - Every year in the United States 25 million pounds of
valuable antibiotics -- roughly 70 percent of total US antibiotic
production -- are fed to chickens, pigs, and cows for nontherapeutic
purposes like growth promotion, according to a new report from the
Union of Concerned Scientists. This finding -- 40 percent greater than the
estimate of the livestock industry for all animal uses -- is the first
transparent estimate of the quantities of antibiotics used in meat

Guide to Pesticides in Produce - Natural Life Magazine January/February 2004

2005-12-20T18:22:00.000-05:00

Guide to Pesticides in Produce - Natural Life Magazine January/February 2004: "Guide to Pesticides in Produce

The Washington D.C.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) has analyzed over 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results and found 192 different pesticides on 46 popular fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, they have created a new Shopper�s Guide to Pesticides in Produce so that consumers can shop their way to reduced pesticide exposure.

Stonyfield Farm, the world�s largest organic yogurt manufacturer, created the convenient wallet-size Guide to deliver this information to consumers. Downloadable from both www.foodnews.org and www.stonyfield.com, the Guide lists the 12 produce items that are consistently most- and least-contaminated with pesticides.

Consumers who are concerned about eating pesticides can either buy organic produce or use the Shopper�s Guide to choose conventional foods that contain the least pesticide residues. Using this tool can reduce the number of pesticides in produce a person eats by up to 90 percent. "

When is organic not really organic? | mountvernonnews.com

2005-12-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

When is organic not really organic? | mountvernonnews.com:

"The current standard is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "USDA Organic" seal. Foods bearing this seal must be 95 percent organic and contain 100 percent natural ingredients to be considered organic.

Earlier this year, a federal appeals court ruled that even small amounts of non-organic ingredients such as vitamins, spices, citric acid and carbonation, do not belong in food labeled organic.

The original suit was brought by a Maine organic blueberry farmer. He sued the federal government in 2002 for allowing products containing what are considered synthetic product to be sold as organic. "

Organic Watch: Countering the Corporate Attack on Organic -- The corporate takeover of the organic food industry

2005-12-14T15:14:00.000-05:00

Organic Watch: Countering the Corporate Attack on Organic -- The corporate takeover of the organic food industry: "Countering the Corporate Attack on Organics and
Fighting for the Family Farmer

Now that the organic industry has grown to over $12 billion in annual sales, agribusiness and biotechnology giants evidently view organics as a viable threat. Over the past few years they have launched a sophisticated and well-funded corporate attack aimed at discrediting organic food and farming practices.

Although their activities do not seem to have put a dent in sales growth, or consumer support of organic agriculture, nonetheless, their activities, including lawsuits and intimidation from government officials , have organic marketers and consumers rightfully concerned.

Attacks on organics have come from right-wing think tanks, lawsuits from Monsanto, threatening letters from the FDA, and have been facilitated by journalists who are either complacent about or outright hostile to organic agriculture. Some of these attacks have included: "

Legacy of farming methods comes home to roost - Opinion - smh.com.au

2005-12-14T12:18:00.000-05:00

I'm doing research for a website on organic food that I'll be building next year. What I'm learning is mind-boggling. Notice the highlighted sentence below on the grain it takes to feed the birds, and how we use more grain than we get back in meat.

Legacy of farming methods comes home to roost - Opinion - smh.com.au:

It isn't called 'factory farming' merely because those sheds look like factories. Everything about the production method is geared towards turning live animals into machines for converting grain into meat or eggs at the lowest possible cost.

Walk into such a shed and you will find up to 30,000 chickens. The National Chicken Council, the trade association for the US chicken industry, recommends a stocking density of 85 square inches (548 square centimetres) a bird - less than a standard sheet of typing paper.

snip

Environmentalists say that this production method is unsustainable. It relies on the use of fossil fuel energy to light and ventilate the sheds, and to transport the grain eaten by the chickens. When this grain, which humans could eat, is fed to chickens, they use some of it to create bones, feathers and other body parts that we cannot eat. So we get less food back than we put into the birds - and less protein, too - while disposing of the concentrated chicken manure causes serious pollution to rivers and ground water.

snip

It's short article, worth a read.

Loss of genetic diversity makes the food supply even more vulnerable to pests and disease

2005-12-12T19:11:00.000-05:00

Audubon at Home: "A mere 10 to 15 species of plants and 8 species of livestock now account for 90 percent of the world's food production. This loss of genetic diversity makes the food supply even more vulnerable to pests and disease. "

I'm working at better understanding the issue of the organic vs "regular" food supply. This statement hit home for me...What are we as a species doing? Not thinking ahead, that seems painfully obvious!

U.S. organic products retail sales are expected to top $21 billion by 2007

2005-12-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

All Things Organic� - North America's Only All Organic Conference and Trade Show:

"U.S. sales of organic food and nonfood products during 2003 totaled approximately $10.8 billion, according to the Organic Trade Association�s 2004 Manufacturer Survey released in May 2004. According to survey results, sales of organic foods were approximately $10.38 billion in 2003, up 20.4 percent from the previous year.

Meanwhile, 'non-food' organic products, such as personal care products, nutritional supplements, organic fiber, household cleaners, flowers and pet food, grew by 19.8 percent, to reach $440 million in sales.

U.S. organic food sales have grown between 17 and 21 percent each year since 1997, to nearly triple in sales, while total U.S. food sales over this time period grew in the range of only 2 to 4 percent a year. According to findings from the Organic Trade Association�s 2004 Manufacturer Survey, organic food sales now represent approximately 2 percent of U.S. food sales.

U.S. organic products retail sales are expected to top $21 billion by 2007, based on growth projections from the Organic Trade Association�s 2004 Manufacturer Survey.

Sixty-six percent of U.S. consumers report they use organic products at least occasionally, according to The Hartman Group�s report, Organic Food & Beverage Trends 2004: Lifestyles, Language and Category Adoption released in August 2004. More than 40 percent of those consumers (or 27 percent of the total population) report using organic products regularly. "

Eating out organic, a new challenge for natural food connoisseurs

2005-12-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

CNN.com In-Depth Specials - Eating out organic, a new challenge for natural food connoisseurs:

"Many equate organic with vegetarian, but that is far too limited a definition, according to chef Nora Pouillon, owner of Restaurant Nora in Washington D.C. The well-known establishment with a four-star Mobil rating is the only one in the United States with organic certification.
'I think some people might think it is a vegetarian restaurant,' Pouillon says.

'You know, misinformation is the biggest thing. People really don't understand what organic means. Many feel that organic means vegetarian food -- tasteless, flavorless food that is not very good. The advantage to this is that everybody is very happily surprised.' "

The Rise Of Organic Food - Forbes.com

2005-12-10T14:39:00.000-05:00

The Rise Of Organic Food - Forbes.com: "Sales of organic food products in the United States have soared to nearly $14 billion from less than $1 billion in the last 14 years, and are expected to rise to $17 billion in the next two years. Whether motivated by food safety scares, health issues or diet concerns, consumers have begun to look for alternative products. "

2005-12-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

It would be great if all school kids had the same choice as they do here:

Hellenic News of America: "While fried chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers still reign supreme in most cafeterias, a small but growing number of schools are turning to organic food as a way to improve children's health and fight obesity."

2005-12-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

Ugh! This is so disgusting!

Sewage sludge legal to use as fertilizer on crops: "It's an outrage: the EPA says farmers can spread human waste sludge on their crops, regardless of what's in the sludge."

2005-12-06T14:22:00.000-05:00

This blew my mind! I use orange zest in recipes alot...I just bought some organic veggie wash from Vermont Soap Works. I wonder if it removes this dye?

Looking for organic vitamins? Grocery store foods are fast becoming a poor source of nutrition:

"Grocery stores, it seems, put far more emphasis on visual appearance than nutritional value. This isn't surprising, since consumers typically select produce based almost entirely on appearance. Oranges from Florida, for example, are frequently dipped in a red dye that gives them a deeper, more saturated orange color preferred by consumers. The only problem is that this orange dye has been banned by the FDA for use in foods due to its proven cancer-causing ability. But the Florida orange industry gets away with using the dye by claiming it's only used outside the orange, not inside. With that strange caveat, the FDA allows its use. "

2005-12-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

I said to my husband, "organic gas". His reply? "I've got some of that." Too funny, lol!!! Anyhoo, here's the story. Whaddaya think?

California To Sell Organic Gas: "Organic products have become big business for many companies, but California will be the first state to produce and offer organic gasoline for sale.
by George Wolfe
SAN FRANCISCO � California is known for many alternative things that cause the rolling of eyes, but its sponsorship of an organic gasoline program is actually turning heads."