The Co-op Food Stores

added 02/06/08

by Rosemary Fifield, Education and Member Services Director

On September 1, 2007, a new federal rule quietly went into effect with little public awareness. The rule, which was sought by the Almond Board of California and approved by the USDA on March 30, 2007, requires all raw almonds grown in the United States to be sterilized before sale to U.S. consumers. Only growers selling almonds from roadside stands and farmers’ markets in California are able to sell raw, unsterilized almonds.

In 2001 and 2004, outbreaks of Salmonella in Canada and the U.S. were traced to raw almonds grown in California. According to the Center for Disease Control, a total of 33 people were hospitalized; no one died. However, millions of pounds of almonds were recalled, at huge cost to the almond industry. Shortly thereafter, the Almond Board of California (the only state in which commercial almonds are grown) requested the sterilization mandate for all growers, regardless of size or safety record.

For many consumers and people in the food industry, this mandate causes concern for several reasons.

Questions of Safety and Quality

To begin with, the most common method of sterilizing almonds is fumigation with propylene oxide (PPO), a chemical classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen. Even though the use of PPO has been banned in Canada, Mexico, the European Union, and many other countries, it is approved for food use in the U.S.

Since the use of PPO violates organic standards, organic raw almonds are subjected to steam sterilization, which raises questions as to how raw they remain. Oil roasting and blanching, also used as pasteurization methods, change the raw nature of the product, as well.

Deceptive Labeling

No information is required on the packaging to designate that raw almonds have been treated, and no indication is given of the method used; all continue to be labeled simply as “raw.” Anyone determined to avoid PPO must purchase the more expensive organic almonds in order to be sure the chemical has not been used.

Many people have health, religious, and other personal reasons for choosing raw foods. Those who wish to pursue a raw foods diet—or who simply want the healthful benefits of a handful of raw almonds on a regular basis—find themselves choosing between the fumigant and a product that may no longer be truly raw.

Potential Threat to Small Growers

Another concern involves the potential loss of small family-owned and/or organic almond operations, many of which supply fresh almonds to the organic and natural foods markets. With equipment to pasteurize almonds costing between $500,000 and $2.5 million, small producers are concerned that they will not be able to afford to stay in business.

Although the Almond Board contends that small handlers may outsource pasteurization, the cost of trucking the almonds back and forth from the pasteurization plant and the charge for pasteurizing small batches could place them at a fatal competitive disadvantage. Furthermore, the federal requirement for segregation of organic products in these processing facilities will further increase cost for organic growers and their customers.

Finally, if raw almonds are not able to be grown and marketed by U.S. producers, consumers and manufacturers will seek to buy them from foreign countries because imported almonds do not require pasteurization before sale to U.S. consumers.

A Band-Aid on a Bigger Problem

Although both outbreaks were traced to huge industrial growers, the new law affects all growers, regardless of their safety records and practices. Some opponents view the treatment plan as a “liability shield” for giant growers that ignores the root cause of contamination.

The Cornucopia Institute, a watchdog organization based in Wisconsin, states, “This may be the first step toward a sterile food environment that protects processors from lawsuits and facilitates industrial-scale food processing and distribution—which is exactly the kind of environment that fosters bacterial contamination. Furthermore, future research undertaken by the USDA and the Almond Board should focus on the benefits of organic and sustainable farming in preventing Salmonella and other bacterial outbreaks—not developing technological Band-Aids to address the root causes of contaminated food. Many of these organic and sustainable techniques might have economic and cultural application on conventional farms as well.”

Cornucopia and others are calling for increased public pressure on the USDA for a full review of the almond pasteurization rule. If you wish to protect your right to untreated domestic raw almonds, visit Cornucopia’s web page, www.cornucopia.org, for information on how to voice your concerns to key decision makers.