Organic Foods May Allow Certain Artificial Ingredients
Posted Dec 18 2008 8:14pm
Organic food is supposed to mean that it's all natural, adhering to rigid standards, right?
Well, that might change.
As an illuminating and disturbing article in today's The New York Times explains, "last week, Senate and House Republicans on the Agriculture appropriations committee inserted a last-minute provision into the department's fiscal 2006, specifying that certain artificial ingredients could be used in organic food."
Say what?
You mean all those tasty, delicious tomatoes, apples, celery and more that many of us enjoy might be polluted with artificial substances that we've been seeking so hard to avoid?
Indeed, as reporter Melanie Warner explains, some advocacy groups worry that the "amendment will weaken federal organic food standards, first established under a 1990 law."
Why would our lawmakers allow organic foods to lose the purity that consumers seek?
Well, it all seems to come down to the fact that major food companies are now wanting a share of the fast-growing $12 billion organic food market.
Ronnie Cummns, national director of the Organic Consumers Association, tells the New York Times that the initiative is "a sneak attack engineered by the likes of Kraft, Dean Foods and Smucker's."
Frankly, I'm worried.
Eating scrumptious, juicy, organic veggies and fruits helps me and many others to stay away from all those processed sweets.
In fact, crunching into an organic Fuji apple wards off my desires for cookies or candies. I don't want my delicious organic foods messed up with artificial chemicals!
Organic food is supposed to mean that it's all natural, adhering to rigid standards, right?
Well, that might change.
As an illuminating and disturbing article in today's The New York Times explains, "last week, Senate and House Republicans on the Agriculture appropriations committee inserted a last-minute provision into the department's fiscal 2006, specifying that certain artificial ingredients could be used in organic food."
Say what?
You mean all those tasty, delicious tomatoes, apples, celery and more that many of us enjoy might be polluted with artificial substances that we've been seeking so hard to avoid?
Indeed, as reporter Melanie Warner explains, some advocacy groups worry that the "amendment will weaken federal organic food standards, first established under a 1990 law."
Why would our lawmakers allow organic foods to lose the purity that consumers seek?
Well, it all seems to come down to the fact that major food companies are now wanting a share of the fast-growing $12 billion organic food market.
Ronnie Cummns, national director of the Organic Consumers Association, tells the New York Times that the initiative is "a sneak attack engineered by the likes of Kraft, Dean Foods and Smucker's."
Frankly, I'm worried.
Eating scrumptious, juicy, organic veggies and fruits helps me and many others to stay away from all those processed sweets.
In fact, crunching into an organic Fuji apple wards off my desires for cookies or candies. I don't want my delicious organic foods messed up with artificial chemicals!
Check out this fascinating article to learn more.