USA Today WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health regulators say a genetically engineered salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a genetically engineered animal for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its environmental assessment of the AquaAdvantage… Read more »
The Battlefront in the Front Yard
New York Times By Steven Kurutz JASON HELVENSTON was at work on his second crop, spreading compost to fertilize the carrots, bok choy, kale and dozens of other vegetables he grows organically on his property in Orlando, Fla., when the trouble began. Mr. Helvenston spent last Super Bowl Sunday planting the garden outside his 1940s… Read more »
Evrett Lunquist, Organic Inspection, Libel and USDA Culpability
Corporate Crime Reporter Let’s say you are an organic farm inspector. And you file what you think is a confidential complaint with the National Organic Program of the United States Department of Agriculture. You complain about an organic farmer. The National Organic Program investigates your complaint and verifies the fundamentals of your complaint. The National… Read more »
Tests Say Mislabeled Fish is a Widespread Problem
New York Times By Elisabeth Rosenthal Fish is frequently misidentified on menus and grocery store counters in New York City, even at expensive restaurants and specialty shops, DNA testing for a new study found. National supermarket chains had the best record for accuracy in seafood labeling, the researchers reported. The researchers, from the conservation group… Read more »
New York Ranks Third in Number of Certified Organic Farms
Mohawk Valley Business Journal By Adam Rombel In the growing field of organic farming, New York state ranks third in the country in number of certified farms, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). New York had 597 certified organic farms in 2011, behind California with 1,898, and Wisconsin with… Read more »
Tenn.’s ‘Barefoot Farmer’ Shutting Down Organic Farm
USA Today By Duane Marsteller and Josh Brown, The Tennessean Owner, Jeff Poppen, widely known from dozens of appearances on public television, is concerned over possible contamination from a neighboring corporate chicken farm. NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One of the state’s oldest and largest organic farms — operated by Tennessee’s famed “Barefoot Farmer” — is shutting… Read more »
Food Safety Group Calls for Court to Limit GMO Seed Patents
Reuters By Carey Gillam (Reuters) – Patent protection for genetically modified corn, soybeans and other crop must be limited so farmers can save their seeds and protect themselves against litigation, a public interest group said in a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a case involving global seed giant Monsanto Co. The… Read more »
FDA Expands Irradiation Uses for Meat and Poultry
[Note: The use of irradiation is a prohibited technology in organic food production.] Food Safety News Meat and poultry producers who use ionized radiation to kill pathogens in product now have expanded options, thanks to two rules published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday. The first rule allows for the irradiation of unrefrigerated raw meat…. Read more »
State Specialist Disputes Survey Findings That Show Decline in Organic Farms in Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Journal By Rob Schultz A specialist with the state’s top agricultural agency gave organic farming in Wisconsin a strong review in light of a federal survey that shows a reduction in certified organic farms as well as organic milk production and sales in Wisconsin. The National Agricultural Statistics Service’s 2011 Organic Production Survey,… Read more »
An Update on the Naked Juice and Kashi Class Action Lawsuits
Living Maxwell For those who don’t know, both Naked Juice and Kashi are facing class action lawsuits. Naked Juice is being sued for using GMOs and synthetic substances in its “Non-GMO” and “All-Natural” products. To read more about this case, click HERE. Kashi is being sued for using hazardous substances, including uranium by-products, in its… Read more »
