April 6, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Kastel, 608-625-2042
USDA and Agribusiness Conspire to Mislead Consumers
" Raw" Almonds Must Soon be Steam-Heated or Treated with a Toxic Chemical
CORNUCOPIA, WI: Small-scale farmers, retailers, and consumers are
outraged over a new federal regulation that will require all almonds
grown in California
to be sterilized with various "pasteurization" techniques. The rule,
which the USDA quietly developed in response to outbreaks of Salmonella
in 2001 and 2004, traced to raw almonds, mandates that all almonds
undergo a sterilization process that includes chemical and/or
high-temperature treatments.
Although the final rule was just published in the Federal Register,
The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group,
is asking the USDA to reopen the proceeding for public comment.
Cornucopia contends that the rule was never effectively announced to
the public, and that the reasoning behind both the necessity and safety
of the sterilization processes should be questioned before the rule
goes into effect this September.
"The new rule is unwarranted and could have many harmful impacts,"
said Mark Kastel, senior farm policy analyst at Cornucopia. "The costs
of the chemical and heat treatments, in addition to the costs of
transporting and recording the new procedures, will be especially
onerous on small-scale and organic farmers, and could force many out of
business."
The only exemption to these new regulations will be organic "raw"
almonds that will not be fumigated, but will undergo the steam-heat
treatment, and small-scale growers who can sell truly raw almonds but
only direct to the public from farm stands.
Although foodborne illnesses have garnered headlines in recent
years, including contamination of California-grown spinach and lettuce,
raw produce and nuts are not inherently risky foods. Contamination
occurs when livestock manure or fecal matter is inadvertently
transferred to food through contaminated water, soil, or transportation
and handling equipment. Raw foods can also be infected by poor employee
sanitation either on the farm or in processing facilities.
Glenn Anderson, a small-scale organic almond farmer in the central valley of California, worries that "This could be one more way for the big companies and the government to put us small farmers out of business."
The equipment to sterilize almonds is very expensive. A propylene
oxide chamber costs $500,000 to $1,250,000, and a roasting line can
cost as much as $1,500,000 to $2,500,000.
Anderson also questions the scientific logic behind the rule. He and
some other growers believe that the sustainable farming methods they
use, such as mowing and mulching, rather than controlling weeds by
chemical herbicide applications, protect biodiversity and naturally
prevent the spread of harmful bacteria more effectively than the
artificial process of pasteurization (sterilization)-which attempts to
mitigate contamination after the fact. According to growers practicing
sustainable farming methods, the USDA plan ignores the root causes of
food contamination?the dangerous and unsustainable farming practices on
industrial farms.
Consumers who oppose the new regulation also worry about its impact
on the quality and nutrition of pasteurized almonds, since the Almond
Board of California
(a marketing arm of the USDA) has conducted the only study on the
practice. Their research concluded that "there was no significant
degradation in the quality" of the almonds. "The validity of these
findings is questionable given the vested interests of the research
panel," Kastel stated.
The most common method of sterilizing almonds is by propylene oxide
fumigation. Propylene oxide is a genotoxic chemical and is listed as a
possible carcinogen by the International Agency on Cancer Research. In
lab experiments, the chemical leads to gene mutation, DNA strand
breaks, and neoplastic cell transformation. It is listed as a
"possible" carcinogen because no long-term studies have been done with
humans. Its use for treating food for human consumption is banned in
the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and most other countries.
It is The Cornucopia Institute's contention that even if independent
research concludes that treated almonds are in fact safe, labeling them
as "raw" is misleading and deceptive to consumers, many of whom wish to
purchase truly raw, unprocessed almonds. "Raw foods are increasingly in
demand. The new rule is another case of the public being deprived the
opportunity to intelligently choose their food supply," said Jimbo
Someck, who owns and operates four of the country's leading independent
natural food stores, in the San Diego area.
The new regulation to sterilize almonds coincides with the recent announcement by the Food and Drug Administration
that it intends to relax its labeling requirements for irradiated food.
The FDA proposal will also allow irradiation, the controversial
ionization process, to be called pasteurization-a reference that is
troubling many food safety watchdogs.
"Consumers deserve to know how their food has been processed," said
Food and Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. "Mislabeling
irradiated food as 'pasteurized' or treated food as 'raw' is an
industry attempt to make consumers buy products that they otherwise
might avoid."
In light of heightened public concern, the Cornucopia Institute has
appealed to USDA Secretary Mike Johannes to postpone implementation of
the new regulatory requirements and reopen the almond docket to public
comment. Only 18 public comments-all from the almond industry-were
received on the proposal. Unlike consumers, retailers, or other
organizations concerned with food safety, all almond handlers received
a personal letter or fax from the USDA alerting them to the
sterilization proposal and inviting them to comment.
"The industry and the USDA tried to slip this through quietly, under
the radar, without adequate public scrutiny," Cornucopia's Kastel
lamented. "We are asking the Secretary of a unit of government that Abraham Lincoln
referred to as the ' People's Department' to intervene so concerned
citizens can have a say. The close collaboration, away from the eyes of
the citizens and the media, we are sure, is not something the Secretary
will feel good about."
An action alert with instructions for contacting the USDA, and a
sample letter interested consumers can send to the USDA and California
Almond Board, can be found on the Cornucopia Institute Website: http://www.cornucopia.org.
MORE: According to Andrew Kimbrell, the Director of the Center for
Food Safety, "The decision to foist fumigants on unsuspecting almond
consumers is just another example of an agency out of control." Adds
Kimbrell, "USDA is being run lock, stock, and barrel by agribusiness
and has abandoned its duty to protect the public and the farming
community. This USDA decision, along with FDA's
long-standing refusal to label genetically engineered food, and its
recent decision to attempt to label irradiated foods as "pasteurized,"
is a conscious effort by the Administration to leave consumers in the
dark about the dangers lurking in their food."
FDA regulations currently require that all single-ingredient foods
that have been irradiated and are sold by retailers must be labeled as
"treated with irradiation" and must display the radura symbol.
A comprehensive fact sheet on the almond issue can be viewed at www.cornucopia.org/Almond_FactSheet.pdf http://www.cornucopia.org and a sample letter for interested individuals to send to the USDA can be found at http://www.cornucopia.org/Almond_SampleLetter.doc.
The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic
justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research,
advocacy, and economic development, our goal is to empower farmers both
politically and through marketplace initiatives.
Mark A. Kastel
The Cornucopia Institute
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608-625-2042 Voice
866-861-2214 Fax
P.O. Box 126
Cornucopia, Wisconsin 54827http://www.cornucopia.org
