Organic Food is Like, Organic, Right?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 06.11.07
Remember Store Wars, the dramatic battle between the organic forces of good and the dark side, Darth Tater and the forces of industrialized agriculture? The dark side is back, and this time they are infiltrating, co-opting and corrupting from within.
The New York Times adds coverage to a story John broke here last month: It seems that to get approval as organic, Department of Agriculture rules state that 95% of a product must be organic and the balance need not be if there is no organic ingredients available, as long as they are on their approved list. Modest little organic breweries like Anheuser-Busch can't find organic hops with “ unique flavor and aroma characteristics due to variation in essential oils” for their fine organic brews and wants an exemption. Others are appalled. “Hops are a crucial ingredient for beer. Why can’t they use organic hops?” said James A. Riddle, an organic consultant and a former chairman of the organic advisory board.
According to the New York Times, purists say that this list of ingredients is the latest example of big business trying to water down organic standards in an effort to cash in on the increased demand for organic products. They argue that allowing the nonorganic ingredients will weaken the integrity of the organic label.
“More than 90 percent of the food/agricultural items on the proposed list of materials in this rule are items that can easily be grown organically,” said Merrill A. Clark, an organic farmer from Michigan and a former member of the organic advisory board, in comments to the Agriculture Department.
She said that allowing such nonorganic ingredients are “totally unhealthy for the organic industry down the road,” and are “opening the organic rules to ridicule and unflattering public exposure.” ::New York Times
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Preserving the Harvest: Strawberry Balsamic Jam
- How to Use a Solar Oven: Beans and Rice Recipe
- Spring for Organic Dairy, Save Money Elsewhere
- Forget Going Green Because It's the Right Thing to Do—Go Green to Make Your Neighbors Jealous
- Forget about Pills: Eat Away A Bad Mood!
- 8 Fun Green Ways to Manage Stress (Kissing is One of Them)
Anheuser Busch uses hops? For what? Fertilizer? Sure as hell don't put any in their beer.
So maybe this is answered in the article (which I am unable to read right now for some reason) is there anywhere the public can express their concern over this dumbing down of the term organic?
This is just down right frighteneing! I have forwarded and submitted several rejections on this site as well as others and still the USDA passed this garbage. Health is our only true and lasting wealth, money can't and will never buy even one more minuet of life. When He calls, we go, that is that!