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Organic news articles
Here we provide organic news articles and links to relevant websites. You will be given helpful links where you can learn more. An informed consumer is a smart consumer. Link to Alternet article on Monsanto and rBGH-free labeling for milk The dangers of lead Recent studies have found non-organic popcorn to be one of the top 10 foods most contaminated with toxic chemicals. Moreover, diethyl in buttered microwave popcorn has been found, when eaten in large quantities, to damage lung tissue. To find healthier organic popping kernels and microwave popcorn, visit organic snacks. House bill passed to fund changes to FDA's handling of food safety The soft drink giant Pepsi recently admitted that its best-selling bottled water Aquafina is nothing more than tap water. They will be changing labels on their bottles to reflect this. This scandal also highlights the U.S. obsession with bottled water, and how states need to reassess the impact of spending on bottled water, rather than examining the adequacy of its municipal water system. You can read more about bottled water at our drinking water information page. The U.S. Farm Bill is up for revision in 2007. Its programs total about $90 billion, and influences everything from the cost of foods to subsidies, family farms and "Big Agriculture." Learn more at healthyfarmbill.org. The latest news, according to Organicconsumers.org, is the the final draft of the Farm Bill is complete, and it does not look good for small farmers. If you want to learn more, please go to the Organic Consumers take action page. E-magazine article on the FDA and food irradiation If you're looking for a cool travel idea, visit the Tour d'organics website, to learn where you can take bicycling trips through Oregon or California, while stopping to eat fresh, organic food. You can check their latest schedule on their website. Consumer Alert: The USDA is playing with the "95% organic" label, allowing companies to use the label, while including questionable ingredients. To read more about it, and to learn how you can take action against this move, go to the Organicconsumers.org information page. Food additives and food labels Mineral Makeup - pros and cons The latest on the pet food fiasco Recent testing by the Food and Drug Administration revealed melamine in samples of the pet food created by Menu Foods, as well as in wheat gluten, and now rice. Over 60 million containers of moist cat and dog food have been recalled. For the latest list of pet food being recalled, visit the FDA link to recalled pet food brands. According to Gourmet Retailer magazine, beginning in January, 2006, food labels will have to list the presence of the following; 1)tree nuts, 2)milk, 3)eggs, 4)fish, 5)shellfish, 6)peanuts, 7)soybeans, and 8)wheat. By law, labels must also indicate the amount of trans fat in any product. The FDA may be pushing for other labelling changes in the near future. Other ingredients, like lycopene or green tea, may also be highlighted. News on E.coli and fresh greens There's been alot in the news lately about the E.coli contamination in fresh spinach coming from Natural Selection Foods in California. According to the Gastroenteric Disease Center at Penn State University, there are about 70,000 species of e.coli, and we can never be fully rid of this bacterium. In fact, many strains of e.coli live in our intestines. The strain that causes illness is the E.coli strain O157:H7. One solution, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is to cook green thoroughly at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 seconds. Hands and cutting surfaces should be washed with hot, soapy water. For more information, you can go to the the CDC webpage on avoiding e.coli contamination. Recently, fresh spinach from California was again recalled - this time for possible salmonella contamination. Read the details at the Fox News article about Metz Fresh spinach. A strong variety of Chinese tea is gaining popularity worldwide. Organic pu-erh (pronounced poo-air) tea has a strong, earthy flavor resulting from an aging process of from 1 to 4 years. Like other tea varieties, pu-erh tea has numerous health benefits, and it's also used to lower cholesterol and aide in digestion. For more information about this variety of tea, visit Wikipedia's pu-erh tea page. The dangers of Teflon News on the ozone layer Genetically modified organisms - fact vs. science fiction Pesticide facts Click here to read about the FDA and FM alfalfa crops. Cloned meat and milk decision by the FDA The health benefits of tea Washington Post article entitled "USDA backs production of rice with human genes", The Agriculture Department has approved the first commercial production a rice crop engineered to contain human genes. In a proposal by California-based Ventria Bioscience there would be large-scale cultivation in Kansas of rice that produces human immune system proteins in its seeds. This has led to criticism by consumer advocacy groups that cross-contamination could occur, with unknown results. (Contamination has been detected in the past). More "secret" decisions by the USDA which support biotech companies are likely to occur, so stay tuned. A documentary about the life of a Midwestern organic farmer is showing at select theaters. It's called "The Real Dirt on Farmer John". To learn more about it, visit the Angelic Organics website. Consumers can find additional articles, product reviews and recipes at Organic.org . You can also use their Store Finder, or join their Forum and communicate with like-minded people like yourself. For those of you who enjoyed Organic Style magazine, they ceased production in October, 2005. Their new publication is called Body+Soul. You can access them online at bodyandsoulmag.com. Hydrogenated fats controversy continues Trans fats labelling on processed goods will become mandatory after January 1, 2006. The company that has taken the most steps to eliminate hydrogenated fats from their products (including the Boca line, cookies, and crackers) has been Kraft Foods. As for fast food chains, only a few have eliminated trans fats from their products. They inclue Au bon Pain, Panera Bread, Jason's Deli, and California Pizza Kitchen. For the full story, go to the Center for Science in the Public Interest trans fats labelling page. Organic Standards Amendment and the Organic Trade Association A number of organizations, including the Organic Consumers Association , the Center for Food Safety , and the National Cooperative Grocers Association are opposed to an amendment to the National Organic Standards bill which would loosen the stringent requirements that are presently in effect in order for products to labeled "USDA organic" or "made with organic". The change involves the use of synthetic products in post-harvest handling and processing, and whether dairies should have a feed allowance to convert to organic production. It would also grant more power to local certifiers. It is believed that this comes as a result of the OTA's relationship with food giants like Kraft, who would like to make it easier to label their products organic. Other companies, like Eden foods, objects to these changes, as do many consumers. {Source: Gourmet Retailer, Oct. 14, 2005) In the September 24, 2005 issue of Science News , a 15-day study suggested that children can eliminate the pesticide residues in their bodies by switching to organically grown products. The Emory University study recruited 23 families with children aged 3-11 years. They noted that urine samples indicated reduced levels of organophosphates after the children's diets were switched.
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