A study published in the Journal of Food Protection has found that while consumers think that organic foods are “safer” than conventionally grown or produced foods, the standards applied to those products do not directly address microbial or chemical safety issues. Researchers looked at the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System in this study. They … Read more
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has released a report stating that the USDA needs to enhance its oversight and better understand the effects of unintended mixing of GMO (genetically modified organisms, also known as GE, or genetically engineered) crops with other crops. This has long been a concern of those opposed to genetically modified organisms. … Read more
According to a new report from Stericycle, recalls of organic foods for microbial reasons has increased in the past year. In fact, recalls of all foods is up significantly from the first quarter of 2015. That company analyzed data from the FDA and USDA for their study. According to the USDA, 70% of consumers think … Read more
Food and Water Watch has conducted a survey with the Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing that shows contamination from GMO (GE) crops is happening and affecting organic produce in farm fields around the country. The survey asked farmers in 17 states, primarily the Midwest, about contamination of organic and non-GMO farm fields with GMO … Read more
Food & Water Watch, the Center for Food Safety, and Consumers Union issued a joint statement yesterday about the USDA’s unilateral and surprising change to the organic labeling standards process, filed in the Federal Register on September 16, 2013. Under the old law, there was a controlled process for allowing otherwise prohibited synthetic and non-organic … Read more
Yesterday we told you about the National Organics Standards Board (NOSB) being petitioned to allow the use of oxytetracycline, an antibiotic, on organic pears and apples beyond October 21, 2014. The NOSB rejected that petition, so the antibiotic will not be used on fruit trees after that date. The debate over the petition was long … Read more
The Center for Food Safety, Consumers Union, and Food & Water Watch are urging the National Organics Standards Board (NOSB) to discontinue the use of antibiotics in apple and pear production. Most consumers (me included) do not know that antibiotics are used to treat diseases in fruit trees. And most think that fruit treated this … Read more
In November 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (USDA’s NOP) announced a new rule for required residue testing aimed at bolstering consumer confidence. Effective January 1, 2013, the rule requires all accredited certifying agents to conduct periodic residue testing on a regular basis of all agricultural products to be sold, labeled, or … Read more
A new study conducted at Stanford Center for Health Policy and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine questions whether organically-grown foods are safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced foods. This systemic review, which extracts data from English-language studies, says no. Seventeen studies in human beings and 223 studies of nutrient and contaminant levels in foods … Read more
Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Richard Hanna (R-NY) have introduced the Organic Standards Protection Act to the U.S. House of Representatives to give the National Organics Program authority to make sure that foods labeled with the organic seal quality for that designation. The Organic Trade Association and the National Organic Coalition support this bill. The legislation … Read more