OT: Changes to Organic Designations?

[Guest guest]

A deadline of midnight Friday to come up with a new list of nonorganic

ingredients

allowed in USDA-certified organic products passed without action from the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, leaving uncertain whether some foods currently

labeled " USDA

organic " would continue to be produced.

The agency is considering a list of 38 nonorganic ingredients that will be

permitted in

organic foods. Because of the broad uses of these ingredients — as colorings and

flavorings, for example — almost any type of manufactured organic food could be

affected, including cereal, sausage, bread and beer.

Organic food advocates have fought to block approval of some or all of the

proposed

ingredients, saying consumers would be misled.

" This proposal is blatant catering to powerful industry players who want the

benefits of

labeling their products 'USDA organic' without doing the work to source organic

materials, " said Ronnie Cummins, executive director of the Organic Consumers

Assn. of

Finland, Minn., a nonprofit group that boasts 850,000 members.

Carol F.

SCD 7 years, celiac, mostly prefer organic