Organic certification

Why You Can No Longer Trust The USDA Organic Label

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WakingTimes  September 19 2013

“USDA Organic” is simply a marketing term those who take government ethics at face value. The goal has always been to increase agricultural sales, not promote organic farming. The public seems to confide in this label through sheer ignorance. The National Organic Program (NOP) which governs the “USDA Organic” label has no interest in organic farming, improving soil, quality of the produce, or factors that pollute the environment. In another blow to their organics program that will further downgrade consumer confidence, the USDA announced this week that the agency has changed the process for exempting otherwise prohibited substances (such as synthetics) in food that carries the “organic or “made with organic” label. This decision makes it easier to continue use of artificial ingredients and substances, undermining integrity of the organic label.

According to the National Organic Program, the organic label indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used…until now.

Under the federal organic law and prior to the announcement, there was a controlled process for allowing the use of substances not normally permitted in organic production because of extenuating circumstances. Under the Organic Foods Production Act 7 USC 6517 (e) Sunset Provision, “No exemption or prohibition contained in the National List shall be valid unless the National Organic Standards Board has reviewed such exemption or prohibition as provided in this section within 5 years of such exemption or prohibition being adopted or reviewed and the Secretary has renewed such exemption or prohibition.”

Under the law, these exemptions are authorized for a five-year period, in order to encourage the development of natural (or organic) alternatives. The exemptions are required by law to expire, known as “sunset,” unless they were reinstated by a two-thirds “decisive” majority vote of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and include a public review. While this is the law, USDA has said it will no longer operate the program in this manner.

USDA organics has been hijacked by big agriculture and their food scientists for some time. Senior food scientist Toby McDonald insists that the only way to protect the population is through current and modified sterilization techniques that will make food safe for all. “Current and modified practices including irradiation and pasteurization are extremely effective in reducing harmful bacteria and pathogens in the food supply,” he proclaimed. MacDonald says that as food demand reaches its climax, proper sterilization will be necessary at all levels.” An increase of 50 percent in food demand by 2030 will require more funding into food monitoring infrastructures so that all food with the potential to produce outbreaks can be properly sterilized to prevent those outbreaks,” he added.

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Manufacturers Deceive Consumers With “Organic” Product Names

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EWG  July 29 2013

Savvy consumers know that cosmetics do not have to be tested and proved safe before making it onto store shelves. Consumer protections for personal care products are outdated and broken, so shoppers must do their own legwork to ensure that the products they buy are safe – by reading labels and using resources such as EWG’s Skin Deep database.

But making sense of the labels on cosmetic products isn’t easy.

Manufacturers use the term “organic” in their product names to mislead consumers about the sources of the ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agency that regulates cosmetics, acknowledges that it does not “define or regulate the term ‘organic’ as it applies to cosmetics, body care or personal care products.”

In fact, it’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture that regulates the term “organic,” whether in food or cosmetics. But there’s a Catch-22. Although cosmetic products containing agricultural ingredients are eligible for USDA’s organic certification, that agency says it’s not authorized to regulate the “production and labeling of cosmetics… that are not made up of agricultural ingredients, or do not make any claims to meeting USDA organic standards.”

This means that cosmetics that don’t contain agricultural ingredients can deceptively use the word “organic” in the product name without penalty from either USDA or FDA.

It’s important to understand the components of product labels. The “principal display panel” – the front label – is the portion with the product name, logo and, when applicable, the USDA Organic Seal. The ingredient information panel is on the back and lists ingredients. Though manufacturers do not always provide a full list of ingredients.

When it comes to “organic” claims, here are the facts:

If a company is selling a product that does contain agricultural ingredients and wants to label it organic, it must abide by these rules under USDA’s National Organic Program:

  • Products labeled “100% organic” can contain only organically produced ingredients. They can display the USDA Organic Seal.
  • Products labeled simply “organic” must contain a minimum of 95 percent organically produced ingredients. They are also permitted to display the USDA Organic Seal. Non-organic ingredients must be USDA-approved and appear on the National List of allowed and prohibited substances.
  • Products labeled “made with organic xxxxx” (for example, “Made with organic rosemary”) must contain a minimum of 70 percent organically produced ingredients. They may not display the USDA Organic Seal but can list up to three of the certified organic ingredients on the front label.
  • Products containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot display the USDA Organic Seal or use the term “organic” on the front label. These products are permitted to list certified organic ingredients on theback panel only.
  • The listed percentages of organic material cannot include water and salt.
  • All products must provide the name and address of a USDA-accredited certifier, a private company hired to document that the product complies with the agency’s rules.

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Kosher Certification Program Bans All GMO Ingredients

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The Organic Prepper April 25th, 2013

Genetically modified organismOne group after another is denouncing the genetically modified poison on grocery store shelves, adding to the chorus of voices demanding real untainted food.

Natural Food Certifiers has announced today that any food product that contains GMOs is no longer eligible to be certified as kosher under their “Apple K” kosher certification program.

“NFC was very proud to introduce the first “Natural Only” kosher supervision,” said NFC Director Rabbi Reuven Flamer. “It’s a logical application of our principle, ‘Start Naturally. Stay that Way.’ Therefore, the Natural Apple K cannot be placed on a product that contains GMOs,” Flamer explained.

“While according to the strict letter of Kosher food law a GMO food ingredient is not prohibited, in our view it is not natural. Additionally, there is a Torah (religious)-based law to ‘guard your health’. GMOs are the number-one growing concern among health-conscious consumers and for businesses in the natural and organic food market, as well as in the conventional food industry,” said Rabbi Flamer.

“Recent studies show that GMOs may cause various kinds of health problems from digestive disturbances to food allergies, and that GMOs require more herbicides, which is really the opposite reason why GMOs were touted to be so environmentally helpful in the first place,” Rabbi Flamer added. “For all of the many reasons that GMOs raise a red flag, consumers simply don’t want them in their foods, and our clients want to accommodate their customers.”

Over the next 12 months, the company will phase out the certification of any product that contains GMO ingredients, and will no longer accept applications for certification of products that contain GMOs.

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Does This Natural Lung Cleanser Really Work?

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Natural Society March 13 2013

Millions of individuals suffer from allergies, and countless others suffer from respiratory conditions. But could an organic-based natural lung cleanser, known as AllerTrex by Global Healing Center, actually be beneficial, and what about for your overall health?

One of the most important things to consider with any supplement, regardless of its purpose, is to make sure that it’s going to enhance your overall health — not drag you down just to treat the symptoms. In the case of AllerTrex, a spagyric lung and respiratory tincture created by Dr. Edward F. Group, we need to examine the ingredients and their effects. And, of course, we also want to know if it actually works when it comes to its intended purpose: cleaning out the lungs and combating allergic reactions.

Note from Anthony: I received no payment for this review, and the entirety of this review is my own words regarding AllerTrex.

Examining the Ingredients of AllerTrex

The very first thing to look at here is the ingredients. First and foremost, we need to examine if this supplement contains any genetically modified ingredients, or GMOs. The last thing we want to put into our bodies is a ‘health’ supplement loaded with GMOs.  In case you are unaware, GMOs have been linked to issues like sterility and even birth defects. Thankfully, Dr. Group’s products pass this qualification more so than any other product line I’ve ever encountered, having the best certification of Non-GMO authenticity available to manufacturers, in addition to a guarantee of being gluten free, not tested on animals, certified Kosher, fully vegan, and made in the United States.

In other words, this immediately sets this product and the Global Healing Center brand at large apart from the GMO-filled supplements that we find on the shelves of pharmacies and grocery stores.

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Top 10 Healthy Yet Cheap Organic Foods

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NaturalSociety | October 24 2012

Cheap organic foods? In the face of global economic struggle, the issue of personal finance is at the heart of the average consumer. But do you really have to shed an exorbitant amount of your money to purchase organic foods over conventional? The answer is no, and there is a surprisingly large amount of high quality organic foods that are quite cheap — even when considering low income families. Even families on food stamps have been able to live entirely on an organic diet on the foodstamp income alone.

There’s even a documentary about it called Foodstamped, which is hosted free online. The couple in the film eats a 100% organic diet on as little as $40 a week. There are keys to keeping costs down such as buying from farmers markets when possible and always buying whole food options as opposed to pre-made or processed meals, but I am going to give you a list of 10 key items that are really quite cheap. In fact, they purchased many of them in the film to keep their costs down. When you get the opportunity, you can even store up on some of these items in bulk and cut costs even further — not to mention that many of these foods are capable of acting as long-term storeable foods.

Here are the top 10 healthy yet organic real food items that won’t break your budget:

1. Brown Rice

Brown rice has a lengthy shelf life when stored properly in a sealed container, and can make for a full meal simply by eating it alone or adding in some of the vegetables in this list. Organic brown rice when purchased in bulk, or at least not from pre-packaged bags, can be extremely cheap while able to be incorporated into many meals.

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