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From: Organic Consumers Association <oca@...>Subject: Organic Bytes: Safeguarding Organic Integrityepifany97523@...Date: Friday, October 29, 2010, 10:54 AM

Organic Bytes #248: Safeguarding Organic Integrity

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#248, October 29, 2010

Safeguarding Organic Integrity

In this issue:

Quote of the Week: US Should Follow Europe and Put the Brakes on Nanotech Food and Other Products

Victories and Actions of the Week

Report from the NOSB Meeting

Study of the Week: Nanoparticles Worm Their Way into the Food Web

Join the OCA Delegation to the Cancun Climate Summit

Videos of the Week

Little Bytes

Quote of the Week

U.S. Should Follow Europe and Put the Brakes on Nanotech Food and Other Products

"...So far more than a thousand products containing nanoparticles are currently available in the U.S. These nano-enabled products have been put on the market without testing their possible impacts on human health or the environment. And, without stringent government review and without regulation, these products are foisted on an unsuspecting public. People are using nanotechnology, such as sunscreen containing nanoparticles of zinc oxide, on a daily basis, almost completely unaware of what they're putting on their bodies."

-

Jaydee Hanson, policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety -

June 29, 2010

Read More

Victories and Actions of the Week

NOSB Recommends that Nanotechnology Be Banned from Organic!

The National Organics Standards Board, under pressure from the OCA and the organic community, has recommended that Nanotechnology be officially banned from organic production, just like genetic engineering, cloning, sewage sludge, and irradiation.

On October 28, 2010, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) passed a recommendation directing the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to prohibit engineered nanomaterials from organic products. OCA will now pressure the USDA to quickly take action and implement a full ban.

As non-agricultural, synthetically produced substances, engineered nanomaterials are already excluded from organic, unless granted a specific exception. This recommendation encourages the NOP to take further steps to block companies from petitioning the NOSB to allow engineered nanomaterials. It also asks the NOP to explicitly exclude nanotechnology from organic food packaging.

Now, we need to press the NOP to act quickly, "as expeditiously as possible," to quote the NOSB, and to make sure they close the door to nanotechnology in organic production, processing, products and packaging.

Take Action

Organic Beer Will Be Made With Organic Hops

On October 28, 2010, the National Organic Standards Board voted to require organic hops in organic beer as of January 1, 2013.

Tip your mug to the American Organic Hop Grower Association.

Learn More

Take Action on Non-Organic Sausage Casings!

Unfortunately, the NOSB also voted to continue to allow the use of non-organic casings from processed intestines in "USDA Organic" sausage.

NOSB member Fulwider works for the CROPP ative which produces Organic Prairie organic sausage with non-organic casings. She voted "yes" and did not disclose a conflict of interest, even though CROPP submitted comments in favor of continuing to allow non-organic casings.

Of course, the farmer-owned, all-organic Organic Prairie brand has a good case to be made that consolidation in the meat packing industry has driven out small-scale, local meat processors and the production of sausage casings is a specialty that few of the remaining slaughterhouses offer.

Organic Prairie competitor Organic is in a much different position. This organic sausage brand is owned by Booth Creek Management, which created Swift & Co., now part of the JBS SA conglomerate, the world's biggest meat company. An organic sausage brand like Organic that is connected to the world's biggest meat company could easily contract for the production of organic sausage casings.

Non-organic agricultural ingredients are only allowed in organic if they're on the National List and a USDA accredited certifier concludes that an organic version of the ingredient isn't commercially available. This evaluation should include an investigation into whether the ingredient can be produced on a contract basis. It's time for companies to take responsibility for their supply chains.

Ingredients on the National List are supposed to "sunset" after 5 years. The intent of the law is to give producers 5 years to look for, contract for, or create ingredients in organic form. Unfortunately, the NOSB almost always puts ingredients back on the list for another 5 years unless there are producers like the American Organic Hop Grower Association who proactively create an organic supply, even when no one has to buy their product.

Agricultural products like sausage casings can't be used in non-organic form indefinitely. The industry should either invest in processing plants that can produce organic casings or sell only skinless sausages under the "USDA Organic" label. It's time to get non-organic casings out of organic sausages!

Take Action

Report from the NOSB Meeting

This week, the National Organic Standards Board held its twice-yearly standards-setting meeting in Madison, WI.

Organic Consumers Association political director is Baden-Mayer spoke at the meeting on behalf of our quarter-million active members.

Read her comments and her blog from the meeting

Please Donate

Support the OCA! Save Organic Standards

We depend on your donations to preserve strict organic standards, to fight against Monsanto and GMOs, and to build a global climate justice movement based upon organic food and farming. Please send us a tax-deductible donation today and we'll send you a free "Millions Against Monsanto" bumper sticker so you can help spread the word in your community. Please be sure to put "sticker" in the comments field of your donation.

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Study of the Week

Nanoparticles Worm Their Way Into the Food Web

Scientists know little about how releasing some of the more than 2 million tons of nanoparticles produced every year will affect organisms in the environment. A new study reports that earthworms (Eisenia fetida) can ingest gold nanoparticles from their surrounding soil and accumulate them in their tissues-a finding with significant implications for food webs.

Read More

Climate Justice: Join the OCA at the Historic Global Climate Crisis Summit in Mexico

Please join OCA Director Ronnie Cummins and other OCA staff on a week-long escorted delegation to the historic teach-ins and rallies for climate justice and organic agriculture at Global Climate Crisis Summit in Cancun, Mexico Nov. 29-Dec. 6.

The OCA delegation, limited to 80 people, will include international experts on organic agriculture and climate justice, including OCA Directors Ronnie Cummins, is Baden-Mayer, and Zinn; organic farm leader and author, Will ; noted blogger and food activist Jill , and renowned GMO specialist and critic Dr. Hansen. Outstanding speakers at Cancun will include Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, Maude Barlow, Pat Mooney, and other global climate justice leaders.

OCA's seven-day escorted tour, starting Thanksgiving weekend, November 29 and extending through Dec. 6, includes all lodging, meals, and transportation costs (airfare not included). Early Bird Registration (before November 7) is only $750-$950.

It is also possible to stay for the entire 11 day event from November 29-Dec. 10.

For more information or to register for the OCA delegation to Cancun contact molly@...; or call 415-307-8914.

More information about the OCA delegation to Cancun

VideoS of the Week

Not One, but TWO Music Videos

These are educational, fun, funny and yes, a little bit silly.

Just Say No to GMO! by Mike of Natural NewsWatch

The World's First Organic Dairy Rap Video

Watch

Little Bytes

More of the Estrogen Pollution Found in Waterways Comes from Factory Farms Than from Oral Contraceptives -read more

Rodale: Top 10 Ways to Avoid GMOs -read more

Who's in Line for the Senate Ag Committee Chair? -read more

UN Admits Industrial Farming is "Suicide" -read more

Food in Uncertain Times: How to Grow and Store the 5 Crops You Need to Survive -read more

LOCAL OR NEWS OF THE WEEK

OR - Get Involved Locally

Learn more about OCA related action alerts and other news in OR here.

Join OR discussion groups in our forum.

Post events in OR on our community calendar.

Message from our Sponsors

Eden Foods Offers OCA Customers 15% Discount

Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond.

As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a 15% discount rate on any Eden Foods products by going here.

Learn More Become an OCA Sponsor!

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