ORGANIC BYTES #108 - Health, Justice and Sustainability & News Tidbits with an E

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ORGANIC BYTES #108

Health, Justice and Sustainability

News Tidbits with an Edge!

5/4/2007

Written and edited by Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins

 

IN THIS ISSUE

 

* ALERT OF THE WEEK:

TELL CONGRESS WE WANT COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELS ON OUR FOOD

 

* PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK:

PET FOOD CONTAMINATION MOVES INTO USA MEAT SUPPLY

 

* QUICK FACTS OF THE WEEK:

MORE REASONS TO BUY LOCAL

 

* WEB VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

COMEDY CENTRAL PARODIES THE RBGH CONTROVERSY

 

* TIP OF THE WEEK:

FIVE TOP METHODS TO REDUCE YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT WHEN SHOPPING

 

* ORGANIC BYTES READERS TALK BACK:

IS THE FDA GOING TO START REGULATING VEGGIE JUICE AND HOLY WATER? ----- WHY

HAVEN'T I RECEIVED YOUR ORGANIC BYTES EMAILS?

 

* ALERT:

IT'S TIME TO PHASE OUT THE POISONOUS PLASTIC PVC

 

_

 

ALERT OF THE WEEK:

TELL CONGRESS WE WANT COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELS ON OUR FOOD

 

Concerns over long distance food transportation (food miles) and global

warming, compounded by recent food poisoning scandals, linked to contaminated

pet,

poultry, and pig food ingredients from China, have taken away many Americans'

appetites for cheap imported foods. Shocked at media reports that the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration is inspecting approximately one-percent of all

imported food, health-minded consumers are demanding that Congress implement

mandatory Country of Origin Labels (COOL) labels on food. Federal farm policy

theoretically requires Country of Origin Labeling for food. Reacting to polls

indicating that 80% of American consumers want to know where their food is

coming

from, Congress incorporated COOL into the 2002 Farm Bill. COOL was supposed to

go into effect in September 2004. Unfortunately, corporate agribusiness,

Wal-Mart, and the supermarket chains bribed an ethically-impaired Congress with

millions of dollars to block implementation of COOL labels. As a result,

Americans

are buying billions of dollars of imported foods without knowing it. In order

to promote health and sustainability, and to save North American family

farms, we need to restore our right to know where our food is coming from. Tell

Congress we want Country of Origin Labels for both conventional and organic

food,

and we want it now:http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/cool.htm

 

_

 

PRODUCT PLUNDER OF THE WEEK:

PET FOOD CONTAMINATION MOVES INTO USA MEAT SUPPLY

 

The pet food poisoning scandal that has prompted the largest recall of pet

foods in history has spread into the livestock and meat sector. This week, the

USDA admitted that the contaminated food ingredients that have killed thousands

of pets across the U.S. were also used to feed hogs and chickens that have

already been processed and eaten by several million Americans. Over three

million chickens and pigs have consumed the tainted food. Although there have

been

no government studies done on the toxicity of this contamination, the FDA

claims the risk is low. It?s important to note that organic animal feed was not

contaminated in this latest incident, underlining the obvious point that pet

owners and meat eaters should give preference to safer, more nutritious organic

products (find organic pet foods here).

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5017.cfm

 

 

 

QUICK FACTS OF THE WEEK:

MORE REASONS TO BUY LOCAL

 

* Each year, the average American consumes 260 pounds of imported food.

* 98.7% of foods imported into the U.S. are NOT inspected by the FDA for

safety.

* Of the scant 1.3% of imported foods the FDA tests, over 200 shipments of

grains, fish, vegetables, nuts, spice, oils and other imported foods are

detained each month for issues ranging from filth to unsafe food coloring to

contamination with pesticides to salmonella. The other 98.7% of untested food is

immediately green-lighted for the American diet.

* The U.S. imports almost twice as much food today as it did just ten years

ago, yet the FDA's budget for testing imports has been cut nearly in half since

2000.

 

Source: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4897.cfm

 

 

 

WEB VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

COMEDY CENTRAL PARODIES THE RBGH CONTROVERSY

 

Comedy Central's Colbert Report takes a hilarious look at the rBGH

controversy. Although the synthetic hormone has been banned in most nations, due

to its

links to endocrine disruption and cancer, it is still widely used in the U.S..

Monsanto recently filed a formal complaint with the FDA demanding that

dairies that have banned the use of rBGH should not be able to label their

products

as " rBGH-free. "

Learn more at OCA's " Millions Against Monsanto " campaign and watch the short

Colbert web video here :

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_colbert_report/

(Note: Mr. Colbert's humor is irreverent and for adult audiences. Viewer

discretion is advised.)

 

_

 

TIP OF THE WEEK:

FIVE WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT WHEN SHOPPING

 

This month's issue of E Magazine includes interviews with leading advocates

for ecological shopping, including OCA's Environmental Scientist Craig Minowa.

Here are five quick tips for becoming a green shopper:

 

1. Switch to environmentally friendly cleaning supplies. The use of

conventional cleaners exposes your family and our environment to some very nasty

toxic

chemicals.

 

2. If you buy only one or two organic items, make them milk and meat. Most

conventional milk and meat are produced on factory farms that feed their animals

massive amounts of pesticide and fossil-fuel intensive conventional corn, at

the same time creating massive manure lagoons that contaminate local ground

water.

 

3. Be as conscious about the packaging as you are about the product. The

production and disposal of packaging takes a heavy environmental toll. You can

eliminate 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year by simply reducing

your

waste by 10%. While you're at it, bring your own shopping bags.

 

4. Buy local and regional, or at least USA-grown, whenever possible, to

reduce energy and pollution from long transportation. But of course some

products

are not produced in the US.. For overseas products, look for the organic and

Fair Trade label.

 

5. Buy in bulk. If you regularly buy a certain product, consider buying it in

bulk. It usually has less packaging, is more affordable, and requires fewer

trips to the store.

 

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5006.cfm

____________________________

 

ORGANIC BYTES READERS TALK BACK:

 

IS THE FDA GOING TO START REGULATING VEGGIE JUICE AND HOLY WATER?

 

QUESTION FROM READER:

" I'm confused about your stance on the FDA's new Guidance Document pertaining

to alternative health care products. I've seen an alert from another group

that seems to suggest the sky is falling, but the OCA's stance in your previous

issue of Organic Bytes seems mellow in comparison. Can you please elaborate? "

 

ANSWER FROM OCA:

There is only one group that has launched an alert on this issue, while all

other health freedom groups have taken a more reserved stance. After much resear

ch and discussion with our allies in the alternative health world, it is the

opinion of the OCA that although this FDA Guidance Document deserves

attention, it does not change any laws that are already in place, and, in fact,

serves

as a distraction from some of the more important issues currently going on in

regards to alternative health care regulations. For an in-depth review of this

controversy,

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4988.cfm

 

-------------------   

 

WHY HAVEN'T I RECEIVED YOUR ORGANIC BYTES EMAILS?

 

QUESTION FROM READER: " I used to get Organic Bytes regularly, but lately it

seems to arrive only sporadically. What's up? "

 

ANSWER FROM OCA: As our Organic Bytes r list has grown larger, we

have run into more problems with getting blocked by various spam filters. The

best way to guarantee you'll receive each issue is to add

ronniecummins to your email address book. Thanks!

Learn more about how to guarantee Organic Bytes will land in your inbox:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/whitelist.cfm

 

_________________________________

   

ALERT:

IT'S TIME TO PHASE OUT THE POISONOUS PLASTIC PVC

Polyvinyl chloride is the most toxic plastic on the planet, yet it is one of

the most widely used plastics in the U.S. The World Health Organization

classifies it as a carcinogen; so many businesses are voluntarily phasing it

out.

From production to disposal, PVC plastic releases poisonous chemicals that can

cause cancer and birth defects.

The good news is safer alternatives are available... we don't have to use PVC

in our kid's toys or shower curtains.

Unfortunately, Target lags behind Wal-Mart and other major retailers in

phasing out this unnecessary and dangerous plastic. Join a coalition of groups

from

around the country fighting for safe and healthy communities at a national

PVC Day of Action on May 24th to urge retail giant Target to phase out PVC. The

May 24th day of action will take place in conjunction with Target's annual

shareholder meeting. Putting together an event is fun and easy, and can be as

small as you and a friend or as big as dozens of people outside of your area

Target. We'll help you set it up. Get involved and sign up now:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/rd/pvc.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

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for posting on bulletin boards and staff break tables. You are also welcome

to use this material for your newsletters. There's an attractive print-friendly

PDF version of this available for free download at

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.cfm

 

_________________________________

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