Guest guest Posted June 8, 2005 Report Share Posted June 8, 2005 Tue, 7 Jun 2005 11:55:14 -0700 " Organic Consumers Association " <listadmin Food, Consumer and Environment News Tidbits (Organic Bytes #59) Organic Consumers Association Food, Consumer and Environment News Tidbits with an Edge! ORGANIC BYTES #59 6/7/2005 MAD COW USA: STOP THE MADNESS The OCA and the Center for Media and Democracy will be staging a press conference and " Mad Cow Milkshake Demonstration " outside a USDA PR event in St. Paul Minnesota on June 9. While USDA national head Mike Johanns tells a carefully selected audience of beef industry boosters at the University of Minnesota that all is well with the USDA's " Don't Look, Don't Test " policy on Mad Cow Disease, consumer and farmer representatives outside will graphically demonstrate how American cattle on non-organic farms are still being fed cow blood, slaughterhouse waste, and poultry manure--practices banned in Europe and Japan because they spread Mad Cow Disease. OCA will also call attention to the fact that the USDA is still refusing to test all animals at slaughter, despite repeated pleas by American consumers and the overseas customers for U.S. Beef. In addition, the USDA has threatened to arrest and jail U.S. meat producers and ranchers if they dare to contract with leading Mad Cow detection labs and start to do their own testing. The OCA will be delivering " Stop the Madness " petition signatures to USDA Secretary Johanns this week, so please sign now! http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/MadCowRelease060605.htm __ MORE NEWS ON USDA MAD COW COVER-UP U.S. government officials are apparently blocking efforts to allow a French lab to analyze and carry out tests on the brain tissue of a U.S. man who is strongly suspected to have died of the human variant of mad cow disease. A deceased California man's family and doctor have announced they believe Patrick Hicks, aged 49, died late last year from variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, or vCJD. The fatal disease is contracted from eating beef contaminated with mad cow disease. Patrick Hicks would be the first confirmed case in the U.S. of someone dying from the vCJD disease who had never traveled or spent time in Europe. Despite efforts by the deceased man's family and doctors to have his brain tissue thoroughly tested at a lab in France U.S. officials have bungled tests and repeatedly dragged their heels on sending brain samples overseas. " I don't know what's going on here, " said Dr. Bailey, the physician who attended Patrick Hicks. http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/delayed060305.cfm __ TRUST IN A BOTTLE The June 2005 edition of the journal Nature reports a new study linking a chemical that can be inhaled to increased levels of the feeling of trust. By whiffing an inhalant of an oxytocin potion, study participants exhibited notably higher levels of trust with strangers. Scientists say the chemical inhalant increases " trust " hormones in the brain in a manner similar to what advertisers seek to do to consumers' brain chemistry with the use of effective marketing techniques. With traditional advertising, consumers are mesmerized by stunning imagery and sounds, ideally resulting in the production of the same types of chemical responses that result in consumers trusting sales pitches enough to purchase the advertised product. The study did not address whether or not the new chemical inhalant could be effectively used on a commercial level to excite a similar consumer response without the expense of the actual advertising. http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/trust.cfm __ MONSANTO IS POISONING US: HOW MANY STUDIES DOES IT TAKE? New research from France has confirmed previous studies that Monsanto's Roundup, the most commonly used herbicide in the world, is much more toxic that Monsanto admits. The study indicates that at levels 100 times lower than the recommended use in agriculture, Roundup herbicide causes reproductive damages and endocrine disruption. In other related news, the FDA Office of Plant and Dairy Foods has stated that half of the non-organic produce they have tested in grocery stores contains traceable residues of various pesticides, including Roundup. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/pregnancy060305.cfm __ STATES DEBATE RESTRICTIONS ON SCHOOL JUNK FOOD In an effort to address the childhood obesity epidemic, 17 states are debating laws that would limit or ban junk foods in schools. The most far reaching law under consideration is in Connecticut. Last week, lawmakers in the house voted 88-55 to ban junk food and soda from school lunches and vending machines and require 20 minutes of physical activity outside of gym. http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/CT052405.cfm __ MASSIVE DEMAND FOR ORGANIC MILK OUTSTRIPS SUPPLY The consumer demand for organic dairy products in the U.S. now exceeds the supply by at least 15%. As an example, Organic Valley Coop, the second largest organic dairy company in the U.S., experienced a 36% growth in sales in 2004, but says it would be growing even faster if it wasn't for supply limitations. There simply are not enough organic dairy farmers. While the USDA gives out $25 billion a year in taxpayers money for crop subsidies to large farms engaged in chemical intensive agriculture and genetic engineering, family farmers wishing to make the transition to organic get nothing. Bruce Ellis, CEO of Wisconsin Organics, says the shortage of organic milk has severely limited his company's growth. If more conventional dairy farmers converted to organic, Ellis says his company could " certainly grow several hundred times. " http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/cheese052705.cfm __ PEDIATRICIANS RECOMMEND ORGANIC MILK According to Dr. Alan Greene, one of the nation's leading pediatricians, kids should be drinking organic milk. Dr. Greene gives seven reasons for his strong organic dairy dietary recommendation: 1) Produced without antibiotics 2) Produced without synthetic hormones 3) Produced without harmful pesticides 4) Higher levels of calcium per glass 5) Higher levels Conjugated Linoleic Acids (good fats) 6) No harmful additives like corn syrup, aspartame or synthetic dyes. 7) More humane animal treatment. http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/seven052505.cfm __ McCLOTHES AND McBASKETBALL McDonalds is looking to expand its revenues and advertising outreach with a new chain of " McKids " stores. With its own clothing line, the company plans to sell garments for children emblazoned with the image of the golden arches, in a manner similar to Old Navy or Nike. The company is also working to strike a deal with the National Basketball Association to have the company's five-note musical tagline ( " I'm lovin' it " ) sound off every time a player makes a three-pointer. http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/supersize052405.cfm __ USDA OKs LABEL FRAUD ON BODY CARE PRODUCTS WHILE PENALIZING HONEST COMPANIES Despite consumer and industry objections to rampant labeling fraud, the USDA has announced it will no longer take steps to monitor or police organic label claims on body care products, nor will it allow companies that utilize 100% certified organic ingredients to display the " USDA Organic " seal. This means that unscrupulous body care companies will be allowed to continue labeling their products as organic--even when they are not--while honest companies that are actually using all organic ingredients will not be able to differentiate their products in the marketplace. Thumbing their collective organic noses at the USDA, a number of companies including Dr. Bronners and Sun Dog, have now publicly stated that it is their legal right to keep on displaying the USDA Organic seal on products that conform to National Organic Standards. Learn more... http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/ __ THE REAL DRUG WAR IS VIOXX New statistics reveal a mounting death toll from the blockbuster pharmaceutical drug Vioxx. The highly touted pain killer is estimated to have caused roughly 140,000 heart attacks, 44% of which led to death. The total number of U.S. deaths from this pharmaceutical drug that the FDA had claimed was " safe " , is over 60,000, which is about the same as the combined number of deaths of all U.S. soldiers killed in the Vietnam war, Desert Storm, and the current Iraq quagmire. http://www.organicconsumers.org/Politics/medicine052605.cfm __ TAKE THE ORGANIC CONSUMER SURVEY! You are invited to participate in a new survey that will help the Organic Valley farming cooperative to better partner with you, the organic citizen! Let them know what's best for you and your family. Share your ideas for spreading the word on the delicious future of organic farming and food. Here's a chance to help the family farm, today! __ Smile, Laugh & Cry with Ode As you read Ode you will realize it is an international news magazine unlike any other. Ode reports on sustainability, natural health, leading-edge science & spirituality, inspiring people & ideas, and much more. Ode, a successful European-based magazine since 1995, has been making lots of waves in the U.S. and elsewhere recently. Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, calls Ode " essential reading, " and Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic calls Ode a " way of life. " Now, for a limited time, you can get an introductory subscription to Ode of 6 issues for only $10! Smile, laugh and cry with Ode. Order Ode now online. ***************************** OCA's web forum and chat room Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on websites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! Help others learn about food safety, organics, and related topics. Place a link on YOUR website to http://OrganicConsumers.org Banners for your use - http://OrganicConsumers.org/logos.htm NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE SUBSCRIBERS: Organic Bytes is a great tool for keeping your staff and customers up to date on the latest issues. Feel free to forward this email to your staff and print for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome to use this material for your newsletters. Within 24 hours of the release of each email version of Organic Bytes, an attractive print-friendly PDF version is posted and available for free download at http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm _________________________________ ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of: ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION 6771 South Silver Hill Drive Finland, MN 55603 Phone: (218)-353-7454 Fax: (218) 353-7652 DONATE TO THE OCA Donate Now! http://www.organicconsumers.org/donations.htm Subscribe: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm For additional daily environmental and political news, visit: http://www.ens-newswire.com http://www.planetsave.com Organic Consumers Association mailing lists are powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV® list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP® mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. More information... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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