Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Beccadog — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:41:29 GMT

Sysco says nothing about organic at its web sites. Home cooked meals can be very toxic, or they can be organically grown and produced prior to the Bush-Cheney Administration.

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Beccadog — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:57:21 GMT

Naphthalene, another List 3 ingredient, is a major ingredient in mothballs and Sevin Dust and has been attributed to acute hemolytic anemia, an autoimmune disease. In animals and small children, it causes death.

"There is sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of naphthalene. Naphthalene is possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)."

[IARC. Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Man. Geneva: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1972-PRESENT. (Multivolume work)., p. V82 418 (2002)]

Human exposure studies/ Chronic abuse of mothballs containing naphtalene and paradichlorobenzene was reported to cause peripheral neuropathy and chronic renal failure. Chronic sniffing of naphthalene containing mothballs can cause liver necrosis."

[IPCS; Poisons Information Monograph 363: Naphthalene. (Date of last update: September 2000). Available from: www.inchem.org/.../pim363.htm as of July 17, 2003. ]

Chlorotoluene is used as a solvent; dyestuff intermediate; in organic syntheses; insecticide and bacteriacide. Little is published about this chemical.

For Piperonyl butoxide, see: http://tinyurl.com/5c93bp

Clearly, list 3 inert ingredients do not belong in organic agriculture.

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Beccadog — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:54:27 GMT

"..(Richard) Mathews (program director of the Bush-Cheney USDA NOP) said that he intends to add 'List 3 Inerts' to the National List of approved substances..."

"List 3 Inerts are many hundreds of materials the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers of unknown toxicity.' They include substances such as phenols, benzene, napthalene, ureas, acetone, chlorotoluene and piperonyl butoxide."

More at: www.library.umass.edu/.../2003.01.pdf

"Phenol (carbolic acid) toxicity occurs most frequently following acute ingestion or chronic dermal application...Ingestion of as little as 1 gram may cause death."

"Phenol (carbolic acid) toxicity occurs most frequently following acute ingestion or chronic dermal application...Ingestion of as little as 1 gram may cause death...Chronic exposures have been reported to cause death from liver and kidney injuries. (Phenol) may also affect the pancreas and heart muscle. Other signs and symptoms of chronic exposures include: headache, vertigo, fainting, cough, fatigue, muscle aches and pain, lack of appetite, difficulty swallowing, excess salivation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, nervousness, weight loss, pallor, partial paralysis," and more. [HSDB, phenol]

Benzene is widely known as causing leukemia in humans and animals. Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon used as a solvent. Benzene occurs naturally but is primarily produced from petroleum products. Uses: Benzene is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of a number of chemicals, including ethylbenzene (used in the synthesis of styrene), cumene (used in the synthesis of phenol and for the manufacture of phenolic resins and nylon intermediates), cyclohexane (used to make nylon resins), and nitrobenzene (used in the synthesis of aniline). Benzene is also a precursor in the manufacture of urethanes, chlorobenzene, and maleic anhydride. Previously used widely as a solvent, this use has decreased in many countries due to its carcinogenicity. [HSDB]

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Beccadog — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:47:04 GMT

The organic regulatory system is not part of the FDA. It is overseen by the USDA.

Bush Administration Poor Custodian of Organic Integrity is the title of an article in Volume 2, Number 55 issue of the Northeast Organic Farming Association newsletter, the Natural Farmer.

The article by Elizabeth Henderson says that "while the NOP (National Organic Program) was difficult to work with under the Clinton Administration, Bush's Secretary of Agriculture has given her underlings no leadership at all. Veneman seems to believe we can solve the ecological problems of agriculture with biotechnology."

Another article, by Jack Kittredge dated 11/24/02 entitled NOP Overrules NOSB

Advocates Say Organic Program Yieldling to Pressure.

"According to the establishing legislation, the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) of 1990, the program is overseen by a National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) composed of unpaid memmbers of the organic and scientific communities.

The NOSB has been meeting for several years to draw up lists of materials suitable and not suitable for use in organic food production, and to set policy on hundreds of issues from compost making to standards for animal access to the out of doors. But now, fear respected members of the organic community, those NOSB policies are being undercut by NOP administrators.

"Just days ago, (Richard) Mathews (program director of the Bush-Cheney USDA NOP) said that he intends to add 'List 3 Inerts' to the National List of approved substances. List 3 Inerts are many hundreds of materials the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers of unknown toxicity.' They include substances such as phenols, benzene, napthalene, ureas, acetone, chlorotoluene and piperonyl butoxide. In 1999, the NOSB Materials Committee voted unanimously not to allow any List 3 Inert in organic agriculture unless it has been individually reviewed and approved. The NOP move to overrule the NOSB is 'clearly in response to industry pressure'."

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

buffalo44 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:25:27 GMT

The only way to really know for sure what you are eating is to grow it yourself!

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

rajsanand — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:51:04 GMT

Unless the USDA is run by someone like Dr. Mercola ;-), I dont know how it got to such a high standard or reliability.

You cannot trust another govt. Organization, that is the FDA, but we can all trust USDA.

WE all know about USDA's Infamous food Pyramid. I think even Dr. Mercolas has exposed the ridiculness of the USDA food Pyramid, which is so simliar to the pyramid used to fatten cattle.

Dr. Mercola has been slacking in so many articles off late. I think it is time to be skeptical about everyone.

I think Dr. Mercola and many others are just tired.

I always believed Dutch certification companies over the USDA, In my country they have a lot of Dutch Certification companies and I would always trust that.

I am sure tommorrow USDA will change the defination of organic, then we will be left helpless.

Do not trust or rather surrender your trust to a single organization and for gods sake not something that rhymes with the FDA(not only phonetically) :-P.

I see organic products here with 3 certifications. I know it will raise the price of the product but we should always trust only products or rather promote the concept of multiple certifcation

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Pwyll — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:47:12 GMT

After hearing an interview on coast to coast the other night that in S. America they are putting aspartame in the stevia---i began to get REALLY worried---especially considering the FDA is doing all they can to prohibit truthful labeling. For example--Ohio has a class action suit becuase the legislature voted to not label milk with rBGH.

If it isn't on the label--the only choice is to not buy from the folks that are found to not be honorable. New hot lists of dependable suppliers will be necessary--and--buying fresh and local will help a lot.

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

curious7 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:32:32 GMT

As we make an attempt to eat healthier we will run into those who want to sell us garbage regardless. Big business will for the sake of profit, tell any lie, pratice any deception. For the most part Government is of little, or no help. They the Government goes where the money is. For some clear information go to www.organicconsumers.org. This web site has a lot of information on who is who, and what to look for. Happy Living.

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Razia — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:16:20 GMT

It is a question of your ability to buy, and if you cannot afford organic, you have to depend upon either your own cultivation, may be in pots- and on things which are usually not too bad, like whole grains. But it would be better to use your own farming and get what is truly organic. However as stated by another friend it is not a joke to do organic gardening. I grew tomatoes, but all the leaves of the plants were eaten by snails. I just had to give up.

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

deadhead30 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:16:20 GMT

Islander,

I certainly hope that cooking at home using high quality ingredients is not a myth among us Mercola readers! I know that I cook at home all but maybe 2 days a month, and I do my best to cook only with quality ingredients. However, I believe that NO ONE can honestly say that they NEVER eat out. I'm going out of town this weekend with my mother to a small mountain town here in CO. What choice do I have but to eat out at least one meal a day while I'm gone? My hotel room has no kitchen amenities, and even though there will be a grocery store nearby, and I can probably get by on fruit and salad bar for breakfast and lunch, I'd certainly enjoy a nice relaxing dinner out with my mom. And when I do, I'd certainly like to think I'm getting what the menu claims I'm getting!

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

pinkskittles — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:09:05 GMT

Sometimes they're unclear about organics.. For example, I'm from Toronto and there's a resto called Cafe Vert and they claim to have organic, but when you ask them if it's organic, they go to check, and then they tell you that the chicken that's supposed to be organic isn't... They ran out, so they went to the local No Frills grocery store and got replacements. The exact same situation was for the dairy. I asked about at least 3 products and the organic ones had run out and they went over to No Frills. What.. tha.. heck... I'm sure they wouldn't have mentioned it wasn't organic if I didn't ask, even though the menu says organic. It's unfair to the consumer. I don't go there anymore and I tell people not to go there every chance I get. It's not acceptable to lie.

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

N4B — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:40:28 GMT

Directed to ORGANIC TRADE's sub post:

The organic regulatory system .... is that a part of the FDA?

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

N4B — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:33:38 GMT

As told to me by a wonderful farmer (Community Supported Agriculture) in Glenwood Springs CO when I asked him if his produce was Organic, he said: "Organic is not the highest standard. It is a marketing tool. " .... this was just nearing the time of the implementation of new laws regarding Organic Certification.
While taking a local extension college (Higher Learning!-apparently trustworthy!) course in Master Gardening... I was shocked to see how the instructor went first to chemicals. (Lots of Grant $ for colleges comes from guess where....) One interesting thing I did learn however, is that some organic-natural insecticides have a much longer life on the food produced than the chemicals! Just because something says Organic .... Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where we could afford to be naive... We don't and we can't .

re: re: Organic Labels Are Not Always Honest

Terri729 — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:11:42 GMT

Depending on where you live, there are restaurants that serve "certified organic" items restaurants out there. It is possible to go out and eat healthy!!

re: Organic Labels are Not Always Honest

Sheila C — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:54:52 GMT

A local caterer who is famous for his "home cooked meals" gets all his meat from Sysco.