Green Means

But Is It Really Organic?

By Shannon Scott

            Farmers, consumers, organic food processors, and certification boards worked hard to establish high standards for healthy foods grown from safe soils.  Now the hard work is in jeopardy due to corporate influence.  We have to question, whether or not the products we are buying are truly organic. 

            PepsiCo, Kraft, General Mills, ConAgra and other multinational food companies have jumped into the organics market challenging sustainable farming methods and degrading organic food quality.  Now consumers must question whether or not products labeled organic really are. 

            The Department of Agriculture proposed regulations for the organic industry in 1997 and established them in 2002.  In between these years, big companies acted fast, buying out small organic brands from Honest Tea to Cascadian Farm.  Heinz and Hain together bought 19 organic brands.

            The $30 billion per year organic food market has demand far exceeding supply.  Sustainable farming methods and organic growers do not produce the abundance needed to fully stock huge commercial food processors.  So what’s a company to do? 

            Cheat.  Big food corporations fudge the truth to consumers to maximize profits. They’re landing seats on quality control and regulatory boards adulterating organic growing, processing, and qualification standards.  If big food companies can legally change, for labeling and advertising purposes, what the word organic means, they can increase the number of alleged organic products on store shelves. 

            This is one way corporations exploit successful, well known product names and maximize profits.  Some organic food industry leaders with integrity, like Eden Foods, are saying that the Certified Organic label has become fraudulent – and they’re right. 

            This dark side of our free market with slack regulations and little consumer oversight exemplifies legal corruption, but this one has dangerous consequences as it concerns human health and welfare, preserving farm lands, and the U.S.’s economic future.

            The Organic Foods Act mandates a control board consisting of four farmers, three conservationists, three consumer representatives, a scientist, a retailer, a certification agent and two representatives of companies that process organic food.  Yet filling seats with corporate voices, rather than independent ones, allays protections established by the law.  Many of the controlling board seats now are questionably filled by corporate representatives donning guises of farmers and consumers.

            The former agriculture secretary, Mike Johanns, appointed a General Mills executive, Katrina Heinze, to serve as a consumer representative on the board in December 2005.  Advocates and independent organic consumers bleated so loudly that Heinze resigned in February 2006, but to no real consequence.  She was reseated later that year when Johanns appointed her to the seat designated by law for an expert in toxicology, ecology or biochemistry.  Heinze has degrees in chemistry.  

            In late May organic food industry giants met to decide which questionable ingredients should be allowed in organic products.  Ingredients like carrageenan, a seaweed-derived thickener with a controversial health record. Or synthetic inositol, which is manufactured using chemical processes.  Ms. Heinze, from General Mills, did not excuse herself from voting to add DHA to the list of acceptable non-organic ingredients since its manufacturer sometimes uses technology licensed from General Mills.  Go figure.

            More than 250 nonorganic substances are on the list of acceptable additives, up from 77 in 2002.  Six board members, voted for adding ammonium nonanoate, an herbicide, to the accepted organic list in December.  Those votes came from General Mills, Campbell’s Soup, Organic Valley, Whole Foods Market and Earthbound Farms.  Fortunately, votes against adding the herbicide prevailed. 

            In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture determined that synthetic additives in organic baby formula violated federal standards and must be banned from products labeled USDA Organic.  Synthetic additives can be found in 90% of organic baby formula.  Synthetic is not organic.  Allowing synthetics into organic foods is green washing, misleading the consumer. 

            When  a product is labeled USDA Organic or Certified Organic consumers should trust that what they’re buying has been grown sustainably without pesticides, herbicides, genetic modification, and been processed with all 100% pure, safe organic ingredients – no fillers.  We want real food, not stuff made in a laboratory in New Jersey.

            Big companies, corrupting the organic food business, bank on consumer ignorance, inattention, and our general trust in labeling.  Buyers beware.  Read labels carefully.

            The following is a list of food companies I generally trust, that have not succumbed to corporate buy outs and the consequent degradation in quality.  I’ve listed a few of their more popular items and where they can be had locally.  This list is by no means exhaustive or exclusive; there are many additional quality brands with integrity.  And of course the best way to get the last laugh on big food companies is to grow your own, and cook from scratch – plant a garden and tool around in the kitchen – healthy activities that feed the soul.

Alvarado St. Bakery – terrific breads and tortillas – Raley’s

Amy’s Kitchen – quality, organic frozen meals and other items – Raley’s and other grocery retailers

Cliff Bar and Co. – energy bars, fruit snacks – available at many grocery retailers

Eden Organic Foods – all organic, whole grains, fours,  BPA-free canned beans, oils, vinegars, and other items – available at many grocery retailers

Lundberg Family Farms - rice and rice products – Raley’s, Costco, and others

Nature’s Path Foods – cereals, breakfast items, breads – Raley’s and other retailers

Newman’s Own Organics – snack foods, dried fruits, pet foods, tea – available at most grocery retailers