Article: Organic almond supporters roast pasteurization plan

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Organic almond supporters roast pasteurization plan

 

George Raine, Chronicle Staff Writer

 

Thursday, August 23, 2007

 

A new food regulation that mandates the pasteurization of California

almonds leaves a bad taste in the mouth of Jesse Schwartz, a purveyor

of raw organic almond butter and other natural foods in Berkeley.

 

For 25 years, as president of Living Tree Community Foods, he has

done business with small Central Valley farmers, and now, effective

Sept. 1, he'll have to buy raw nuts for processing from Italy, Spain

and Turkey - almonds of lesser quality, he will tell you.

 

" Almonds are a part of the heritage of the American people, and it

makes me very sad that they're about to dump a fumigant on our

American heritage, " Schwartz said, referring to a method of

pasteurization that involves chemicals.

 

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