How will the food labeling bill affect the organic food movement?

[Nutmegger]

My family and I always purchase organic foods from organic stores. Do you think they will be affected?

Damn these people, every last one.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060309/ap_on_he_me/food_warnings

[Cobalt Violet]

1. I wish I knew.

This is just not right at all.

[freethought]

2. It has passed the house. It has not gotten by the Senate

There is a possibility of stopping it there.

[savemefromdumbya]

3. Now I'm really mad!

who (names please) voted for this? :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Nutmegger]

5. LINK to votes

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll032.xml

:nuke::argh::mad::grr::nuke::argh::mad::grr::nuke::argh::mad::grr::nuke::argh::mad::grr::nuke::argh::mad::grr::nuke::argh::mad::grr:

[savemefromdumbya]

6. THEY ARE TRYING TO POISON US!

[savemefromdumbya]

7. THEY ARE TRYING TO POISON US!

[sandnsea]

19. Bean, Boswell, Murtha

Just a few names that I recall have gotten strong DU support.

[niyad]

4. okay, I don't think I have had enough to drink. do I understand correctly

that, instead of making the warnings nationwide, those sold-out pols in DC are going to ELIMINATE warnings on our food because they are so obviously in the pockets of the food megagiants? Please, somebody, tell me I got this wrong.

[InvisibleTouch]

8. There's a movement among the big food companies...

...to soften (negate) the organic food standards. If it would cost considerably more to feed chickens organically-grown foods vs. non-organic food, for instance, the company could still use the label "organic" while actually not raising their animals organically. These aren't the small organic farmers who are pushing for this - they're usually trying to grow organic out of a sense of conscience. It's the major food companies who want to jump on the growing popularity of the "organic" bandwagon, but not actually have to cut their profits or change their tactics to do so. This hasn't passed yet, but it's being pushed hard by greedy big business. Something to keep close watch on.

Ultimately, we may have to research each and every company individually to see whether their "organic" label actually means organic. I definitely share your concern.

I could have sworn I kept a copy of the article that detailed all this, but can't seem to find it. If I come across it, I'll post. It was on the web some weeks ago, around the beginning of the year, if I recall correctly.

[Nutmegger]

11. Thanks for this reply

That was kind of my thinking too, that a company can just claim that their product is "organic". I know the local organic food markets here are very popular.

That would be great if you could find that article. I'm going to do some Google-ing later on this subject.

I'm pissed!:mad::nuke::grr:

[InvisibleTouch]

13. I've got my computer running a search...

...but it's slow and laborious, and so far no luck.

I do remember the article mentioned some of the major organic suppliers like Stonyfield Farm, Horizon, and Organic Valley, and that one of them was supplying Wal-Mart these days, while another refused. Those might be Google terms for you, as unfortunately I have to be off for the night soon. If my search comes up with a result in the next few minutes, though, I'll still post it here.

[Nutmegger]

14. My night isn't over yet!

DUers, lets tag-team this! This is important!

Thank you InvisibleTouch.

[leftchick]

21. Horizan was found to be using non-organic milk

in all of their dairy products. I believe the other two are still okay. For now. :(

[Rainscents]

9. This bill is very bad!

Corporations want to kill us all!!!

[Lorien]

10. K & R n/t

[Lorien]

12. Here's the info-and an ACTION link:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2752

[Nutmegger]

15. Thank you Lorien for this important link.

:hug:

[TreasonousBastard]

16. There are already Federal regulations...

such as they are, for labelling organic foods that wouldn't be affected by the law.

[Nutmegger]

17. Really? Thanks for this

But then what's to stop a company for stating that their products are natural when in fact they are not? People will have no way of knowing because they won't, and will not, report it.

Unless I'm missing something?:shrug:

[TreasonousBastard]

18. I didn't say they were GOOD regulations...

but I don't remember many of the details.

You've noticed those ingredient lists and fat, carb, etc. charts on processed food? That's a federal requirement. Other stuff like "cheese food" and "nilla wafers" came from truth in labelling regs. If you dig into the regs, it's amazing how detailed some of them have become. What's the difference between prime and choice beef? What's the required fat content of butter? What's a banana? It's all in the regs.

With the popularity of organic food, and the big guys getting into the business, regs were set up so that things like "natural," "organic" and other terms would have an actual meaning, or anyone could just slap a label on. Because of the big guys, the regs were watered down, but they're still some help.

Problem now is with frankenfood and some states wanting to identify genetically altered grains and such. For instance, the big traders like ADM aren't set up to separate terminator corn from "real" corn in silos filled with tons of it, so they're fighting tooth and nail to not have to identify it. Then, if Perdue has to identify what the chickens were fed on, like frankencorn, it gets worse. The other problem is that big guys like Proctor & Gamble don't want to have 50 sets of labels for each state's requirements.

I don't know what the answer is, but the real fight isn't so much over labelling, but just what the hell is it we're eating, and why don't they want to tell us?

Years ago I had my parents over for dinner and roasted an Amish free-range chicken. When I mentioned it was free-range and more or less organic, my mother just said that when she was a kid, that's all they had so they never thought about it.

[rucky]

20. They watered those regulations down a couple months ago...

I'll post the link if I can find it again.

The problem with this new law is that the restrictions set on the state level (especially California) are more consumer friendly than the federal laws. (read "more restrictive" by agribusiness). If the Feds just adopted California standards, i'd be all for federalizing them, but they're using the law so companies can sell their stuff in California and federal protections will supercede state standards (i.e. they won't get fined by a State Ag inspector, or if they do, they can now fight it pretty effectively.)

I don't think, however, this new law can keep these assholes out of civil court & the trial lawyers in California who put a ton of effort into identifying and passing laws restricting dangerous substances in food are pissed. I'm hoping to see some class action lawsuits relating to pesticide use. There's a big one brewing in Florida right now, brought on by farm workers who've had some strange medical happenings traced to a pesticide they've been working with. I'll try to find that link, too (it's been in the South Florida news recently)