The Cornucopia Institute will be posting responses to questions concerning organic and sustainable farming and food issues. Please check back for updates to this page.
How do I become a member of The Cornucopia Institute?
At your option you can either go to our secure server, by clicking on the donate button on our website, and join by making a contribution with a credit card. Or you can print out that page and mail it to us with a check. Our address appears on the donation page. Thank you very sincerely for your support of our mission!
I’m considering a membership with The Cornucopia Institute – what’s in it for me?
“The prime benefit from Cornucopia membership, as organic stakeholders, is protecting the integrity and meaning of the organic label so it continues to benefit the environment, humane animal husbandry and economic-justice for family farmers. And of course, the continued availability of accurately labeled and authentic organic food for consumers.
Our mission, through our research and education work, is to empower farmers, consumers and wholesale buyers so they can make good, discerning decisions in the marketplace thereby rewarding the true heroes and sending an important economic message to the bad actors. We sponsor a comprehensive website, Facebook, twitter, electronic and print newsletters, in addition to action alerts and other correspondence, to keep our membership among the most informed in the organic community.”
If you manage a CSA or food co-op and would like to become a member, please contact us.
Why don’t you have a Paypal option for donating?
Paypal does not instantly and seamlessly integrate into our database for donations and members, which leaves room for entry error and generates extra work for our small, busy staff. Those who heavily prefer to use Paypal to donate can contact us for instructions.
Can I have permission to post Cornucopia materials, from your website or press releases, on my site or reprint them in printed form?
All of the materials we create (not including news articles authored by others and posted on our site) are made available for any other nonprofit organizations to utilize as long as proper attribution is included. This includes what we have written in the photographs on our site. Although not required we always appreciate an e-mail to let us know where our materials are appearing.
Please note that the ‘Who Owns Organic?’ material originates from Phil Howard, https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/organicindustry.html, and his permission will be needed to reuse this data.
Contact us regarding the use of images on the site, as not all images are property of The Cornucopia Institute.
I read your report on DHA, what infant formula is safe for my baby to use?
The only organic formula without Martek’s DHA is Nature’s One’s product, Baby’s Only Organic. We feel it’s designed to meet the standards for infant formula. Contact Nature’s One for questions if you are concerned about using it for an infant rather than a toddler.
DHA oil from algae and ARA oil from soil fungus sounds pretty “natural” to me. Why does Cornucopia claim this shouldn’t be in organic products?
The algal and fungal oil produced by Martek Biosciences Corporation are highly processed, using chemicals, acids and genetic modification techniques that have not been approved for use in organics.
According to federal law and regulations, novel ingredients like Martek’s algal and fungal oil must be petitioned, reviewed and approved, if deemed safe and appropriate, for use in organics before they may be legally added to organic foods.
Martek, and the corporate food processors using Martek’s oils, decided to add these ingredients to organic foods without going through the required approval process. Instead, the corporations hired a lobbyist to work out a backroom deal with the former director of the National Organic Program at the USDA to misinterpret the federal organic standards (this has since been deemed to be an impropriate agreement by the current administration at the USDA).
Martek’s oils added to infant formula are extracted with the use of hexane, a neurotoxic chemical solvent, a method explicitly banned in organic oil production.
Moreover, one of the strains of algae used by Martek Biosciences does not occur in nature. Monsanto, which genetically engineers and modifies life forms, developed a DHA-rich strain of Schizochytrium algae through mutagenesis—using radiation or chemicals to induce mutations in the algae’s genes.
What is Cornucopia’s Position on Arsenic Found in Baby Formula?
Nature’s One, the company that makes Baby’s Only Organic toddler formula, has taken the concerns about arsenic residues in organic brown rice syrup very seriously. The company announced on July 31 that it has developed a filtration technology that is organic-compliant and is able to reduce arsenic in its organic brown rice syrup to nondetectable levels.
Baby’s Only Organic, compared to other formula brands, has the least number of added synthetics. There are a number of added synthetic nutrients that have not been proven beneficial to infant development, have not been approved for legal use in organics, are produced using solvents like hexane, but are nonetheless added to all organic infant formula products with the exception of Baby’s Only. Moreover, several synthetic preservatives are found in organic infant formula but not in Baby’s Only (the preservatives serve to prevent rancidity of the synthetic oils DHA and ARA, they are listed as beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate).
If you are looking for an organic infant formula that does not list a sweetener as the first ingredient, there is a product from Europe called Holle – their website is www.holle.co.uk
Can I Trust the USDA Organic Seal?
The majority of participants in the organic community are high-integrity. It’s a shame that the USDA’s accreditation program has yet to hit its stride and guarantee the authenticity of all organic food. In the meantime, we encourage you to consult the scorecards on The Cornucopia Institute website so you can choose to support the true heroes in this industry.
In the meantime, there are few alternatives to certified organic food and fighting for the authenticity of the organic label is worth all of our efforts.
What is the difference between undegraded (“food-grade”) carrageenan and degraded carrageenan? I contacted a company and they said they only use food-grade carrageenan – which they claim is safe. Is that true?
Carrageenan can be classified as low molecular weight, “degraded” carrageenan, or high molecular weight, or “undegraded” carrageenan. Degraded, low molecular weight carrageenan is recognized as a carcinogen in lab animals, and is therefore classified as a “possible human carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Carrageenan processors tend to portray the difference between degraded and undegraded carrageenan as a simple, black–‐and–‐white distinction. They claim that food–‐grade carrageenan sold to food processors falls entirely in the Undegraded category. However, studies (including industry–‐funded studies) show that food–‐grade carrageenan is also linked to colon inflammation and colon cancer in animals. Studies have reported that high molecular weight carrageenan can degrade in the gastrointestinal tract to low molecular weight carrageenan.
Moreover, when the industry tested its food-‐grade carrageenan for the presence of degraded carrageenan, results showed that every sample had at least some degraded carrageenan, with some test results of food-‐grade carrageenan showing as much as 25% degraded carrageenan.
Please read our full report on this subject here: http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Carrageenan-Report1.pdf
Why Isn’t My Egg Brand Listed on the Organic Egg Scorecard?
Our research is limited to certified organic egg brands.
If your supplier is organic and certified, and not among the brands we rate, we would be happy to send them a survey so we can start them down the road on being evaluated and added to the scorecard. If they are certified organic, and not already on the scorecard, please send us their full contact information, including e-mail address, and we will contact them.
For more FAQ’s on our Organic Egg Report and Scorecard, see here.
Why Isn’t My Dairy Brand Listed on the Organic Dairy Scorecard?
Our research is limited to certified organic dairy brands.
If your supplier is organic and certified, and not among the over 110 brands we rate, we would be happy to send them a survey so we can start them down the road on being evaluated and added to the scorecard. If they are certified organic, and not already on the scorecard, please send us their full contact information, including e-mail address, and we will contact them.
Why Isn’t My Soy Brand Listed on the Organic Soy Scorecard?
Our research is limited to certified organic soy brands.
If your supplier is organic and certified, and not among the brands we rate, we would be happy to send them a survey so we can start them down the road on being evaluated and added to the scorecard. If they are certified organic, and not already on the scorecard, please send us their full contact information, including e-mail address, and we will contact them.
How do I know if my soy products are made with hexane-extracted ingredients?
If the ingredients list on the package includes soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or texturized vegetable protein, and they’re not organic ingredients, then the product you’re looking at is very likely extracted with hexane. Soy lecithin is a byproduct of soy processing which almost always involves hexane – unless it says it’s “organic soy lecithin”, the chances are very high that it’s from hexane-extracted soy.
Also, tofu is very rarely processed with the use of hexane. Do watch out, however, for tofu with reduced fat content (“light” tofu) as this often contains soy protein that may have been extracted with hexane.
Amy’s Kitchen has committed to using only non-hexane extracted soy ingredients in its veggie burgers.
The only way currently for a consumer to find out more about whether soy protein isolate is hexane-extracted or not is by contacting the company and asking them the specific question. We did the work for the consumer and compiled the results in the online guide and tables. Every company that is listed received a certified letter in the mail from us, explaining our project and asking specifically if they use hexane-extracted or hexane-free soy protein ingredients. Companies are listed as using hexane-extracted soy protein if they either 1. did not respond or 2. responded that they do currently use hexane-extracted soy protein. If a company responded that they use non-hexane soy protein, we verified their claims by checking with their supplier of soy protein. (see our organic soy scorecard and hexane scorecards for energy bars and meat alternatives)
SOY Report FAQs: Cornucopia’s response to corporate propaganda
Click to read about: Silk switches to cheap conventional soybeans and Pacific Foods’ phony baloney certification system for Chinese “organic” soybeans.
What does the almond pasteurization mandate mean about the almonds I purchase?
California growers (essentially all who grow almonds in the U.S.) must pasteurize their almonds if they are going to be sold raw and sold to markets in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
There are two exceptions to the raw almond pasteurization mandate:
1. Exports of raw almonds to foreign countries (excluding Canada and Mexico) do not have to be pasteurized. (This says to us that other countries don’t want pasteurized nuts and/or we don’t care about any potential health impacts for those consumers eating nuts that haven’t been treated).
2. Farmers can sell untreated raw almonds, in maximum lot sizes of 100#, directly to consumers from their farmsteads or at a farmers market. In other words, you can buy direct if you visit the farmers.
Neotame: Threat to Organics Sponsored by Monsanto or Internet Hoax?
We have received several inquiries about the artificial sweetener Neotame, and the Internet rumor that this synthetic additive is allowed in certified organic foods. Neotame, as a synthetic additive, is not allowed in organic foods, contrary to the Internet rumor.
None of the bloggers who perpetuate this anti-organic myth reference primary sources to substantiate their claims. As their sources, they reference one another instead of going to the source – such as the Code of Federal Regulations. (see full article here)
Does the Cornucopia Institute promote a meat diet over vegetarian or vegan, and why?
The Cornucopia Institute is “neutral” in terms of people’s dietary choices. We have members who are omnivores, vegetarians who consume dairy and eggs, vegans and folks with a 100% raw diet. And we have farmers who are vegans themselves, and produce only food that conforms to their belief systems, and we have farmers that are involved in livestock production.
Since we have been on the forefront of defending raw food, and keeping it free from adulteration like irradiation and “pasteurization,” as our continual fight in court to overturn the almond pasteurization mandate represents, we are an important champion for people who want truly raw food in their diets.
Other vegetarians appreciate the work we have done rating all the organic soy products in the country so they can buy their favorite foods, in confidence, knowing which ones come from American family farmers in which ones are made from questionable soybeans and other ingredients imported from China.
We think everyone should have the choice to eat a diet that they have chosen. We think people should have access to the healthiest and most nutritious food and that the family farmers who produce it deserved to be fairly compensated. Corporate agribusiness partnering with government is endangering everyone’s ability to purchase truly authentic and nutrients superior food in the marketplace.
Raw Milk
Cornucopia is officially neutral on the risks and benefits of raw milk vs pasteurized milk. Cornucopia members produce milk that is marketed as pasteurized (HTST—high temperature short time, UHT—ultra high temperature/”ultra pasteurized,” vat pasteurization).
A fair number of our members produce and market raw milk and dairy products.
Although being neutral on the health attributes and/or risks of raw milk, we will aggressively defend the rights of dairy farmers to produce and market raw dairy products and the rights of consumers to make informed purchasing decisions in the marketplace.
Would Cornucopia consider a scorecard rating organic certifiers?
The USDA’s oversight of organic certifying agents, through its accreditation program, is a broken system. Congress designated the USDA with the responsibility to oversee an accreditation program to make sure that consumers and ethical organic farmers are protected, but the agency has failed in this regard. An analysis and audit done by the American National Standards Institute, a few years ago, was damning in their criticism of how the USDA was doing its job.
We’ve had many requests to come up with a comprehensive rating system for certifiers, and have recently taken a close look at organic certifiers in China, but our present funding and staffing levels have prevented a rating scorecard for certifiers from being higher on our ‘to-do’ list. It’s something that we are currently studying and continue to be interested in.
Letters and Communications with Public Officials:
Wouldn’t it be easier to have an online petition, including the ones that can be customized, rather than submitting our comments through the government website, when Cornucopia requests us to do so in action alerts, or when you send us proxy letters to mail back?
It’s certainly possible to create what is known as an “online petition.” These can be personalized.
Unfortunately, it’s our experience that elected officials and bureaucrats in Washington dramatically downplay citizen participation when they come in that way.
I know it is a hassle but when you go through the federal government website your thoughts become part of the public record and are posted where other citizens can also see them.
I know it takes a little bit more effort but we would recommend going through their very user-unfriendly system.
And when we send out proxy letters we know it takes a little bit more effort but from our experience something on a piece of paper, with a real signature, and especially when it has some extra hand written message, has a real impact.
How can I connect with local organic foods in my area?
Besides for your local farmers market, and member-owned food cooperatives (if they have any in your area) two excellent resources to connect with farmer-direct food marketers would be the websites eatwild.org and localharvest.org.
How is organic produce identifiable by PLU? How would you recommend addressing the misrepresentation of produce at a supermarket?
The PLU codes on organic produce contain 5 digits, and the first digit is a 9. This web site explains all you want to know about PLU code: http://plucodes.com/docs/Users_Guide.pdf
In addition to identifying organic produce by the PLU code, the sticker affixed to the item should also state that it is organic. This standard for PLU codes only applies to produce that must be weighed in order to calculate pricing. An individual apple, selling for 79 cents / pound, will have a PLU sticker. A 5-pound bag of apples will have a bar code, not a PLU sticker. The bag should say “certified organic by …” and list the name of the certifier.
If the store is placing non-organic produce under a banner labeled “organic”, talking to the store manager might be the fastest and most appropriate way to address the issue. Retailers are not required to be certified organic, and sometimes they don’t understand the importance of clearly differentiating between organic and conventional produce.
If there is concern that the PLU code is not correct, then the issue is with the packing company that applies those stickers. If you are not able to resolve the issue yourself, be aware that anyone can submit a complaint to the National Organic Program. Their website explains the procedure: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
How often are your scorecards updated? Our scorecards are updated continually, as new producers are added to the scorecard or existing producers change their production practices. We strongly encourage consumers to contact companies that are rated low, and share your thoughts with them. If they did not participate in the Cornucopia study, please urge them to do so (they can contact The Cornucopia Institute to obtain a survey).
Have you rated any Canada brands or know of an organization in Canada that has rated organic brands? We have received an increasing number of requests to work in Canada but we don’t have the staffing or resources at this time. We would encourage you to find a public interest group in Canada that we can partner with.
How do you verify the information sent in from the participants in your scorecard? A company or farm’s score is based on their answers to a comprehensive survey we developed. We visited a large number of farms to verify their answers to the questions, especially questions related to outdoor access. When we are not able to visit the farms in person, we ask participants to send photographs of their outdoor space and barns.
Do you have your scorecards available as an ap for iPhone?
This is coming soon.
How do you get your information about brands that did not participate and how can we trust your information?
Transparency is the hallmark of the organic movement. Consumers want to know the “story behind their food.” All companies were invited to participate. At a minimum they received a certified letter. The majority of all namebrand egg producers were willing to be open and transparent with Cornucopia researchers and their customers. Companies that were not transparent were given the lowest rating. If through other resource tools we were able to develop a profile of how the company does business (interviews with management or employees, site visits, photographs, satellite imagery, etc.) we share that information in the report.
