Just a few hours after we shared our testimony, the National Organic Standards Board voted to remove carrageenan.
To the organic advocates who generously shared their stories, passion, and time by adding their comments to the Federal Register, we thank you.
In fact, several NOSB members remarked that the overwhelming response from organic advocates swayed their mind and vote, reminding them of their responsibility to human beings. “The utmost thing that we can do is provide healthful food for the community,” one member remarked. Another member underscored what Cornucopia has been saying for years: A growing number of people choose organic for health reasons, making carrageenan antithetical to organic’s ethos.
The NOSB recommendation to remove carrageenan from organic must now make its way through a rulemaking process, so stay tuned! We’ll let you know when it’s time to speak out again.
Whatever happens next, industry is on watch. The consumer voice is powerful and getting louder every day!
Advocating for a Label You Can Trust
The hidden ingredients in our food are a topic on everyone’s minds today. Yet this concern probably feels like old news to people with chronic illness. This demographic, which makes up a large percentage of Cornucopia’s supporters, is acutely aware of one of the lesser-known benefits of choosing organic: escaping the most troubling processing aids in our food system.
Cornucopia is your watchdog. As ingredients and processing mechanisms evolve and advance, we are the counterbalance to industry. We track the current science and advocate on behalf of human health so folks can continue to trust the label.
Cornucopia has been fighting to remove carrageenan from the National List for over a decade. From our desk, the research is now abundantly clear. Carrageenan is linked to gastrointestinal inflammation and disease.
The National Organic Standards Board vote to remove carrageenan just wrapped up, and we were ready. Listen to Executive Director Melody Morrell speak the truth in her short but powerful testimony. (Want to go deeper? Read our exhaustive 17-page comment.)
Cornucopia will continue to fight for a rulemaking process that prioritizes human health over corporate interests.
