The Co-op Food Stores

added 02/21/08

by Rosemary Fifield, Education and Member Services Director

In the January/February 2008 issue of the Co-op News, we discussed concerns about the newly mandated pasteurization of domestic almonds with propylene oxide or steam heat. We also noted that the almonds would be labeled as “raw” and carry no information about the treatment they received (“Almonds Get a Raw Deal”). Cornucopia Institute and others were calling for increased public pressure on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a full review of the almond pasteurization rule.

According to Cornucopia’s website, its co-directors have since met in Washington, DC with three high-ranking USDA officials to talk about almonds. They learned that thousands of comments have been sent to the Secretary of Agriculture’s office on the subject of almond pasteurization:

“We were asked why there was such a public outcry on this rule, with the officials expressing their surprise and amazement at the level of public concern. We explained the diverse desires of consumers, the demands of product manufacturers, and the mounting negative impact of the rule on family farmers and organic farmers who are losing markets and income from the pasteurization plan.”

Cornucopia offered a compromise proposal for USDA, asking them to consider allowing the sale of untreated American-grown almonds with a warning label.

“The warning label approach is something that is already done for other foods sold in the U.S., such as some fresh, unpasteurized fruit juices. We know that FDA would have to be involved with such a labeling action, but we fully believe that if USDA throws its weight behind the proposal (along with the thousands of consumers and commercial interests who would support this) that such an approach would likely gain approval at the FDA.”

Says Cornucopia: “Our proposed solution to the situation was not rejected, but was met with some expression of support. … We were asked to send the officials a formal letter outlining the specific remedy to the problem, which we have since done … We were encouraged by what we heard and how the offer was received.”

Cloned Animals as Food

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it considers meat and milk from cloned cattle, pigs, and goats safe for human consumption. The agency also said meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring would not be labeled as such because they are the same as conventional food and do not pose a safety risk. However, meat and milk suppliers are being asked to abide by a voluntary moratorium on the sale of products from cloned animals until marketing concerns regarding public acceptance have been addressed.

It may be too late for that. In January, The Washington Post reported that “Executives from the nation’s major cattle cloning companies conceded yesterday that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA to keep them off the market pending completion of the agency’s safety report.”

The Post also wrote: “Clone companies oppose labels, seeing them as little more than a tool to help wary consumers avoid clone-derived products.”

Consumer Right to Know

Both of these are complex issues with many reasons for consumers to be concerned. The common thread, however, is the reluctance of government agencies to provide consumers with labeling that will allow them to make an informed decision about the food they purchase.

You may or may not agree that cloned food is safe and moral to produce. You may feel that almonds need to be pasteurized at all costs, or you may wish to have a choice about supporting small farmers and having access to raw foods. In either case, however, as currently legislated, that choice will not be yours to make.