{"id":5111,"date":"2011-03-23T00:40:02","date_gmt":"2011-03-23T04:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=5111"},"modified":"2013-01-29T15:03:56","modified_gmt":"2013-01-29T19:03:56","slug":"synthetic-additives-in-processed-organic-food-criticized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2011\/03\/synthetic-additives-in-processed-organic-food-criticized\/","title":{"rendered":"Synthetic Additives in Processed Organic Food Criticized"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, March 23, 2011) According to the Cornucopia Institute, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that it will allow products containing unapproved synthetic additives in processed food labeled \u201corganic\u201d for an indefinite grace period. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is slated to take up the issue at its upcoming meeting in April, when it will determine whether the use of these synthetic materials meets the standards of the Organic Foods Production Act nad its standards of health and environmental protection. Consumers are urged to make their voices heard with comments to the NOSB before the April 10 deadline (see below).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cornucopia Institute has filed legal complaints against infant formula manufacturers and Dean Foods, manufacturer of Horizon dairy products, for adding unapproved additives: Martek Biosciences Corporation\u2019s omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA\/ARA), derived chemically from fermented algae and fungus, to foods with the organic label.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Cornucopia Institute maintains, and the USDA reiterated in a compliance letter issued March 16, that these additives are illegal in organics. But USDA also stated it would not take enforcement action at this time. The USDA\u2019s compliance letter suggested that it would allow companies to continue adding the additives to organic foods during a phase-out period of unspecified length, despite its clear statement, in the same letter, that the additives were being used in organics due to an \u201cincorrect\u201d interpretation of the federal standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, the USDA admitted once again in its letter that the DHA additives should never have been allowed in organics, and then goes on to state that they have chosen not to take enforcement action at this time,\u201d said Charlotte Vallaeys, Farm and Food Policy Analyst with The Cornucopia Institute.<\/p>\n

According to organic regulations relating to synthetic materials in processed organic foods, \u201cnutrient vitamins and minerals\u201d can be used according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Nutritional Quality Guidelines for Foods. However, the National Organic Program (NOP) has most often interpreted this regulation in a very broad context, which advocates believe runs contrary to the intent of the regulation.<\/p>\n

The Wisconsin-based Institute stated that it is meeting with its legal team to determine its next course of action in its efforts to ensure that foods bearing the \u201cUSDA Organic\u201d label are produced in accordance with the federal organic standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope the current NOP management moves quickly to implement their position, that adding unapproved additives to infant formula constitutes a violation of the organic standards,\u201d said attorney Gary Cox, who has long represented The Cornucopia Institute in its oversight of the USDA. Cornucopia states that it is likely to file a lawsuit against the USDA for its failure to carry out its Congressional-mandated duties in protecting the purity and safety of organic food.<\/p>\n

\u201cFederal law clearly states that synthetic additives must be approved by the USDA, through a formal petition process, assuring their safety before they can legally be added to foods with the organic label,\u201d stated Vallaeys. \u201cMartek\u2019s Crypthecodinium cohnii and Schizochytrium oils (sources of DHA) and Mortierella alpina oil (a source of ARA) have never been approved, and the USDA has once again caved to industry lobbyists.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cornucopia Institute is concerned with the USDA\u2019s failure to enforce the organic standards regarding unapproved accessory nutrients, because the synthetic additives have been linked to many serious reported gastrointestinal problems in infants and young children.<\/p>\n

Megan Golden of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, watched her newborn son suffer from serious vomiting and gastrointestinal illness from the day he was born and given formula with DHA and ARA. At age 9 weeks, she switched to formula without these additives, and his symptoms disappeared. \u201cBy the next day, no lie, my son was a completely different infant. He was comfortable, was not as agitated, and the throwing up had stopped. His gas pains went away. His stools became normal. And he could finally relax enough to sleep. I am thankful for that,\u201d said Ms. Golden.<\/p>\n

As of January 2009, more than a hundred similar adverse reaction reports<\/a> have been filed with FDA (a more recent open records request by The Cornucopia Institute is pending). Since few parents and healthcare professionals historically report the link between over-the-counter drugs or nutritional additives and adverse reactions to the FDA, scientists believe these reports constitute only the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n

When USDA enforcement officials first became aware, in 2006, that infant formula manufacturers were adding unapproved additives to formula bearing the \u201cUSDA Organic\u201d label, they recognized its illegality and sent an enforcement letter ordering them to take the unapproved additives out of organic infant formula.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, discovered through a Freedom of Information Act<\/em> (FOIA) request by The Cornucopia Institute, and reported in an investigative report by the Washington Post, corporate lobbyists convinced the former director of the USDA\u2019s National Organic Program, Dr. Barbara Robinson, to overrule her staff\u2019s decision, and allow companies to market products with Martek\u2019s unapproved algal-based and fungal-based additives.<\/p>\n

The Cornucopia Institute has complained for years that this was an improper and illegal action by the agency. In 2010, the USDA, under the Obama administration, concurred with Cornucopia, stating in a public memorandum that this was an improper decision.<\/p>\n

Unlike some essential nutrients (vitamins and minerals), unapproved additives like Martek\u2019s DHA and ARA are not required by the FDA in foods, but are popular with food manufacturers because they are useful in trying to create a competitive marketing advantage.<\/p>\n

FDA just announced that it will conduct a study<\/a> to determine if marketing claims by infant formula manufacturers, such as claims that DHA and ARA \u201csupport brain and eye development,\u201d influence mothers\u2019 feeding decisions and discourage breast-feeding.<\/p>\n

Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Food Politics<\/em>, states about DHA and ARA in infant formula: \u201cCompetition for market share explains why formula companies want to put distinctive nutrients in their formulas\u2014especially nutrients considered \u201d\u02dcconditional.\u2019 Even if the health benefits are minimal or questionable, they can be used in advertising.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they advertise these nutrients with questionable claims of benefits, companies do not share with consumers the process by which these nutrients are manufactured.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting omega-3 fatty acids from natural sources like breast milk, or salmon, or flaxseed, and getting omega-3\u2019s from a synthetic additive in infant formula or milk are two completely different things,\u201d explains Ms. Vallaeys. \u201cCompanies like Martek don\u2019t like consumers to know that these additives are often chemically extracted, fermented in genetically engineered feedstock, treated with harsh chemicals, deodorized and bleached. There\u2019s a reason why so many consumers are turning to organic foods\u201d\u201dto avoid these kinds of novel substances that masquerade as food,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Additives like DHA and ARA are not required by the FDA in foods, including infant formula, because scientific data fails to document benefits to human health or development. Dr. Katherine Kennedy of the University College of London\u2019s Institute of Child Health, along with several colleagues, wrote: \u201cWe contend this field of research has been driven to an extent by enthusiasm and vested interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

The British scientific panel also stated, \u201cAlthough the vast majority of infant formulas now contain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids [manufactured by Martek], the scientific evidence base for their addition is recognized by most investigators and key opinion leaders in the field to be weak.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the USDA determined these materials were being illegally added to certified organic food, it\u2019s unconscionable that they would continue to drag their feet on enforcement even as more reports flow into the FDA on adverse health impacts,\u201d says Mr. Kastel.<\/p>\n

Consumers exhibit marketplace loyalty in the organic label, because it represents a rigorous third-party certification system of strict federal standards that prohibit synthetic inputs unless they have gone through a rigorous approval process. Organic activists are concerned that if the USDA fails to rigorously enforce the standards, allowing big business to make up their own rules, that consumer confidence in the label will be eroded.<\/p>\n

Industry observers speculate that the USDA has dragged its feet on forcing the removal of these unapproved additives in order to allow time for the powerful pharmaceutical companies manufacturing infant formula (Abbott Laboratories and PBM Nutritionals, the private-label manufacturer for Wal-Mart and Hain-Celestial\u2019s Earth\u2019s Best brand) and the nation\u2019s largest milk bottler (Dean Foods) to petition the National Organic Standards Board, the expert citizen\u2019s body created by Congress, to approve the Martek materials, after the fact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is more than just a question of whether a particular additive is risky and inappropriate for inclusion in organics,\u201d Kastel lamented. \u201cThe question is whether or not organics will remain a trusted last refuge for families who don\u2019t want to experiment with the long-term health of their children.\u201d<\/p>\n

On March 14, the National Organic Standards Board released a controversial committee proposal<\/a> that would allow any synthetic nutrient additive that comes on the market to be added freely to organic foods\u201d\u201dwithout review.<\/p>\n

Already, citizens are lining up to voice their disapproval of this industry-friendly committee decision, which will be debated and voted on by the full Board during its next meeting in Seattle, April 26-29.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that the committee, stacked during the Bush Administration with corporate representatives, has voted to open the door to just about any novel synthetic, chemically produced, additive to be added to organic foods\u201d\u201dwithout the congressionally-mandated review,\u201d stated Mr. Kastel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the split vote by the 7-person committee was in favor of potentially marketing gimmicky and risky synthetic additives, the organic community as a whole is going to fight like hell against this,\u201d Mr. Kastel stated. \u201cThere is no way that ethical organic companies, organic farmers, and organic consumers are going to allow a handful of pro-corporate board members to indiscriminately weaken the meaning of the organic label.\u201d<\/p>\n

A brief summary of the overwhelming scientific literature questioning the efficacy of Martek\u2019s nutritional oils, and questioning their safety, can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since the USDA is failing its mandate to ensure that all products bearing the \u201cUSDA Organic\u201d seal are in fact complying with the federal standards that prohibit unapproved additives, the Cornucopia Institute has developed a list of products containing Martek\u2019s unapproved additives. The list is available on the Cornucopia website<\/a> and will be updated on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n

For more information on how you can be involved with the organic regulatory process, see Beyond Pesticides’ Organic Integrity program page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

TAKE ACTION: <\/strong>
\nSubmit your comments to the NOSB<\/a> regarding nutrient additives, or any other topic<\/a> that will be debated, by April 10, 2011 <\/strong>in order to have them considered before the meeting. Be sure to specify which issue you are commenting on.<\/p>\n

Source: Cornucopia Institute press release<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides, March 23, 2011) According to the Cornucopia Institute, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that it will allow products containing unapproved synthetic additives in processed food labeled \u201corganic\u201d for an indefinite grace period. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is slated to take up the issue at its upcoming meeting in April, when it will determine whether the use of these synthetic materials meets the standards of the Organic Foods Production Act nad its standards of health and environmental protection. Consumers are urged to make their voices heard with comments to the NOSB before the April 10 deadline (see below). The Cornucopia Institute has filed legal complaints against infant formula manufacturers and Dean Foods, manufacturer of Horizon dairy products, for adding unapproved additives: Martek Biosciences Corporation\u2019s omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA\/ARA), derived chemically from fermented algae and fungus, to foods with the organic label. The Cornucopia Institute maintains, and the USDA reiterated in a compliance letter issued March 16, that these additives are illegal in organics. But USDA also stated it would not take enforcement action at this time. The USDA\u2019s compliance letter suggested that it would allow companies to continue adding the additives […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,320],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alternativesorganics","category-national-organic-standards-boardnational-organic-program"],"yoast_head":"\nSynthetic Additives in Processed Organic Food Criticized - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2011\/03\/synthetic-additives-in-processed-organic-food-criticized\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Synthetic Additives in Processed Organic Food Criticized - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(Beyond Pesticides, March 23, 2011) According to the Cornucopia Institute, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that it will allow products containing unapproved synthetic additives in processed food labeled \u201corganic\u201d for an indefinite grace period. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is slated to take up the issue at its upcoming meeting in April, when it will determine whether the use of these synthetic materials meets the standards of the Organic Foods Production Act nad its standards of health and environmental protection. Consumers are urged to make their voices heard with comments to the NOSB before the April 10 deadline (see below). The Cornucopia Institute has filed legal complaints against infant formula manufacturers and Dean Foods, manufacturer of Horizon dairy products, for adding unapproved additives: Martek Biosciences Corporation\u2019s omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA\/ARA), derived chemically from fermented algae and fungus, to foods with the organic label. The Cornucopia Institute maintains, and the USDA reiterated in a compliance letter issued March 16, that these additives are illegal in organics. But USDA also stated it would not take enforcement action at this time. 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The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is slated to take up the issue at its upcoming meeting in April, when it will determine whether the use of these synthetic materials meets the standards of the Organic Foods Production Act nad its standards of health and environmental protection. Consumers are urged to make their voices heard with comments to the NOSB before the April 10 deadline (see below). The Cornucopia Institute has filed legal complaints against infant formula manufacturers and Dean Foods, manufacturer of Horizon dairy products, for adding unapproved additives: Martek Biosciences Corporation\u2019s omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (DHA\/ARA), derived chemically from fermented algae and fungus, to foods with the organic label. The Cornucopia Institute maintains, and the USDA reiterated in a compliance letter issued March 16, that these additives are illegal in organics. But USDA also stated it would not take enforcement action at this time. 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