Fwd: [SoFlaVegans] USDA prepares final organic ingredient rule

[Guest guest]

Note: forwarded message attached.

 

 

 

Ronald A. Fells

 

N3VPU

 

Amateur Radio Operator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

USDA prepares final organic ingredient rule

By Lorraine Heller

6/26/2007

 

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=77659 & m=2flg627 & c=qdrhrvoeraoqydo & idP=18

 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is calling on

organic food producers to comment on the proposed list

of ingredients permitted for use in organic products,

before the publication of a final rule.

 

The agency's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on

June 21 published its interim final rule amending the

National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances

(National List).

 

According to USDA, organic producers and handlers

until recently may have misinterpreted regulations to

mean that any non-organic agricultural substance could

be used in organic products if this was determined

unavailable in organic form by an accredited

certifying agent.

 

The new rule proposes the addition of 38 non-organic

ingredients - including colors, starches and oils - to

the list. These are currently being used in organic

food production due to the industry misinterpretation.

Their addition to the list would prevent disruption

to business following a National Organic Program

regulation, which came into effect June 9.

 

This regulation clarified that only ingredients

appearing in the National List are permitted for use

in organic products, which means that, technically,

organic products containing these non-organic minor

ingredients are now officially in non-compliance with

US government organic certifications.

 

However, AMS is extending its comment period on the

interim final rule by 60 days in order to allow for

the continued use of these 38 substances until the

final rulemaking, thereby minimizing the impact on the

organic industry.

 

The agency also said the extended comment period would

allow for more responses from processors and handlers,

which would be " helpful in developing a final rule " .

Out of the 1,250 comments received so far, " very few "

were from this segment, said AMS.

 

Based upon USDA's Economic Research Service and AMS

data compiled from 2001 to 2005, the US organic

industry at the end of 2005 included nearly 8,500

certified organic crop and livestock operations, plus

more than 2,900 handling operations.

 

Organic crop and livestock operations reported

certified acreage totaling more than 4.05 million

acres of organic farm production. Total number of

organic crop and livestock operations increased by

more than 18 percent from 2001 to 2005, while total

certified acreage more than doubled during this time

period. AMS estimates that these trends continued

through 2006 and will be higher in 2007.

 

US sales of organic food and beverages have grown from

$1bn in 1990 to nearly $17bn in 2006. Organic food

sales are projected to reach $23.8bn for 2010. The

organic industry is viewed as the fastest growing

sector of agriculture, currently representing nearly 3

percent of overall food and beverage sales. Since

1990, organic retail sales have historically

demonstrated a growth rate between 20 to 24 percent

each year including a 22 percent increase in 2006.

 

The proposed final rule would add the following

substances to the National List:

 

Colors from annatto, beet juice, beta-carotene, black

currant juice, black/purple carrot juice, blueberry

juice, carrot juice, cherry juice, chokeberry-aronia

juice, elderberry juice, grape juice, grape skin

extract, paprika, pumpkin juice, purple potato juice,

red cabbage extract, red radish extract, saffron, and

turmeric.

 

In addition: casings from processed intestines (used

as sheaths in the manufacture of sausages), celery

powder (used to facilitate the natural curing process

of meat), and chia (used to add fiber and omega-3 to

baked goods and beverages.

 

Other ingredients include: dillweed oil, fish oil,

fructooligosaccharides, frozen galangal, gelatin,

water extracted Arabic, guar, locust bean, and carob

bean gums, hops, oligofructose enriched inulin, kelp

for use only as a thickener and dietary supplement,

konjac flour, unbleached lecithin, frozen lemongrass,

unbleached orange shellac, pectin, chipotle chile

pepper, cornstarch, unmodified rice starch, sweet

potato starch, Turkish bay leaves, Wakame seaweed, and

whey protein concentrate.

 

To view USDA's Interim final rule with requests for

comments, click here

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Newsroom/FedRegNoticeTM-07-06InterimFinalRule062207.pdf

 

To view a list of USDA accredited organic certifying

agents, click here

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm

 

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[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing this, Ron. All I can say is that I'm VERY happy that I

don't eat packaged foods!!! Best,

Elchanan

 

 

 

 

On Behalf Of

R Fells

Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:40 PM

raw soul

Fwd: [soFlaVegans] USDA prepares final organic ingredient

rule

 

Note: forwarded message attached.

 

 

 

Ronald A. Fells

 

N3VPU

 

Amateur Radio Operator