7gen Bloc

Boca Burgers used to be made of organic ingredients and it was labeled as gluten free. It was the only vegetarian burger I ate on a regular basis. But after Kraft bought it, it is no longer made of organic ingredients, and gluten (specifically) has been added as an ingredient. There is no assurance that the soy-based ingredients are from soybeans that are not genetically modified, which is a food security issue important to many people. These changes were made without consulting the customers, including those who might have needed to use it for medical reasons. As a result, it is no longer on my list of products I use.

The last sentence was the nail in the coffin - since when was the USDA organic label to be trusted? For a nanosecond back in 1990 when it was first created it was a strict standard - then every single year since 1990 the USDA has tried to weaken the organic certification standards to include "acceptable" levels of genetically engineered food, industrial sewer sludge used as fertilizer and non-organic ingredients allowed in food products with the USDA organic certification seal.

The USDA doesn't give a tinkers damn about consumer health and food safety - there is a revolving door between Monsanto and other biotechnolgy corporations and the USDA - look at the current and past CEO and top executives at Monsanto - they are all Clinton and Bush party hacks - first you work for Monsanto, then you step down and get hired by the USDA - Clarence Thomas, Crypto-Fascist Supreme Court Judge was a Monsanto lawyer. No big surprise it was Clarence Thomas's vote that cleared the way for the Supreme Court to rule a corporation can patent a plant, which made it legal for GMO.

Watch "The World According to Monsanto" on DVD and go see the brand new movie "Food, Inc". After viewing those films, you will not trust the USDA, Supreme Court or any biotech corporation.

I've been eating organic food since 1968 and also worked in sustainable agricutlure professionally since the early 1980's I don't trust CCOF or USDA certifcation and the WORST is that crap QAI Quality Assurance International which was sold to a huge corporate conglomerate several years ago.

Most of the organic certification out there is WORTHLESS, for instance Amy's Organic Frozen food in Petaluma uses HEXANE which is a highly toxic carcinogenic substance in all their soy products - so does Silk Soy Milk, Trader Joes soyfoods and Gardenburger. I wrote a letter to Amy's Organic Frozen food protesting the use of HEXANE and they sent me a canned form letter back defending their used of carcinogenic solvents. Hexane is a cheap and dirty way to separate soy oil from the protien - it doesn't belong in food - maybe furniture polish or industrial use - but certainly not in food.

I grow a lot of my own food in a big community garden plot and I buy 80% of my food straight from the farmers market where I know my grower. I don't trust ANY certification program except for Demeter - which is European and has quite limited product line in the USA

Sadly, I trust the Organic Seal only so far too. Its certainly better than nothing. However, I still prefer to eat home grown food or at least something local over organic foods shipped here (Indiana) from California or farther.

I've yet to understand how the European Union has been so successfully strict on products in their arena compared to the United States. Its all a corrupt joke.

Just when you think you're safe you learn something new that makes you just throw your hands up again. So, now it's back to researching this new component I was unfamiliar with before (thank you colleenwhalen). Sad to hear Silk AND Trader JOe's as we just got a new TJ's here in virginia beach and their soy yogurt is the least expensive I've found. It's disheartening that the "INDUSTRY" is so pro-money and could really care less about pro-health.

So what are we suppose to do, who are we to trust, and what are we to buy when we're trying to be more healthy and save the world one family at a time? I recently joined a CSA in NH, but that's just produce. What do I do about everything else?

I never have trusted any organic or "natural" labels, especially if they have any government or big business ties.
I wrote Morningstar Farms a letter a few years ago voicing my opinion on their genetically modified soybeans. I, too, got a ridiculous form letter that I could barely even stomach reading.

It is scary how most companies are being bought out and most have ties to Monsanto and other horrific businesses. I've been a vegetarian for 20 years and have slowly watched my favorite "family owned" organic/ non-GMO products turn Kraft, Kelloggs, etc.

I am especially sad to hear about Trader Joe's and Amy's. For some reason I am surprised but I know I shouldn't be.

For the first time last fall I grew much of my produce and bought a lot from the farmers' market as well, but here in AZ in the summer there's not much growing now.

Even though we get the crappy form letters, I am going to still keep writing so hopefully one day my kids will not have to eat a 100% GMO diet.

My home property was seized by police this past spring because an isolated colony of the gypsy moth was found over two miles from my residence here in California...how does this relate? Well, I have grown my own food for 30 years without ANY pesticides, herbicides or insecticides. The CDFA (California Dept. of Agriculture) funded by the USDA took over my land and doused it three times with bacillius thuringiensis kurstaki (btk). They told me it was approved for organic gardening. As a matter of fact, the local organic gardeners approved this method. I protested but to no avail. They had secured a warrant. Btk is harvested from sewage wastewater. The mixture included a feeding attractant, a food stimulant plus a sticky spreader ingredient. These inert ingredients are not safe. Bt is what they inject into the genetically modified seeds. Currently, I have insects that I never had before (leafhoppers, stink bugs, etc.) which are damaging my garden and fruit trees. The spiders and ladybugs are gone and there are no more butterflies. My orange and juniper trees are suffering and my 10 year old cherry tree died as a result of the caustic mixture. Organic? Really? Keep an eye out in your community for invasive pests and plant eradications. There are safe methods for dealing with these issues that don't require taking control of private property. The gypsy moth would not have survived here in California. It would have taken care of itself as we have the mouse that eats it plus it would be breeding with its offspring which would cause it to die out over a couple years. The spraying cost close to 1 million dollars and was unnecessary. All of this is tied to the receipt of federal funding from Homeland security. The States are using the Patriot Act to declare the pest or plant a public nuisance. By doing so they can bypass the fourth amendment and use warrants to seize land for their own purpose which is to use these products to line their pockets. They use fear to scare the community into thinking these pests or plants will damage the land. Obviously the constitution of the United States is merely a document that can be manipulated for the corporation and governments end. This is no joke!

When the USDA can seize your property and ruin 30 years of your investment what will they do when they control our healh care? Will Monsanto and other biotech industries line the pockets of our government agencies to determine our health care decisions?

It's irritating enough that the term "green" has become such a buzzword that a trend is now following it. I guess that I shouldn’t complain that people are now opting to follow the new fad and be happy that they are caring even if it is for all the wrong reasons. My new issue is with the fact that large corporations, such as Clorox, are opting to benefit from this new cause. Buying Burt's bees was one of, in my opinion, one of the worst things that could have happen for that company and other natural companies alike. It's so sad to me that they have shifted their ways when we stood behind them to show our support when they were small companies with few who benefit. I'm glad that you guys will bring it to the attention of others. Checked a Kashi box lately? Kellogg’s. Is there name mentioned on the product? Of course not. That would be a bit too honest for the corporate nature.

of Codex Alimentarius? It is likely not THE motivating force behind much of what has been addressed in the comments above, but I can see that it IS a motivating force in some aspects of the things mentioned. If you don't already know about it, you NEED to! There are bills in the House that will bring us closer to being Codex compliant (and that is NOT a good thing). The bills, specifically, are: HR 875 (Food Safety Modernization), HR 759 (Food and Drug Globalization), and there is one already in the Senate: S425 (Food Safety Tracking and Improvement Act). Also, HR 2749 was recently passed in the House and will be picked up in the Senate at some point (unfortunately). That one's call name is Food Safety Enhancement Act. That last one is horrible in that, among other things, is enables the FDA to declare martial law. And why would they need to do so? To MAKE people accpet the swine flu vaccine, of course. And if you refuse? Off to quarantine camps or jail. Seriously.

The problem with the other bills is that they move our laws into compliance with Codex. There's a 5 part video on YouTube. Dr. Rima Labo is the speaker and it's very informative. Of course, you can also google the term (it means Food Code). But the videos are easy to listen to while you read elsewhere.

ObamaCare (HR 3200)is a huge issue, of course, as well because there is actual verbiage in it that addresses our very ability to make choices (like being a smoker... I'm not but hubby is AND losing weight... I need to, but don't want to be forced to do so!). Anyway... contact our leaders. That's the only way we can make a difference quickly. And do it often.

so within the past two years or so i have transitioned into eating mostly organic foods and what not...some being amys and silk...but now i dont know who to trust. what brands are good? what about muir glen, central market, lundberg, or stoney field?...i hope i haven't been wasting my money

As I said at the end of my post, "at the end of the day, the organic certification system remains a good one that deserves our trust, support, and respect." I highly recommend that we continue to purchase products with the USDA Organic Seal. While any large system will have flaws, this is a good system and one we should continue to support.

...that so many companies had been bought out by corporations (Kashi?...man!). I'm currently working on starting my own natural cosmetic business and wonder if I should worry about pressure to 'sell out' to a 'big name'.

It's sad to think that regulations have gone so lax and that so many corps buy these companies only to change everything that made the company successful in the first place.

I had thought our society was heading in the direction of real progress in sustainibility and had hoped we would curb those who capitalize on the sweat and hopes of others. A healthier way of life should be more of a reality than it currently is!

One thing I try to stay on top of is label-reading, despite an Organic label. I try not to consume ingredients I can't pronounce...finding good ingredients in a product is a tough task, to be sure. Company websites should have an ingredient 'dictionary' available. It's something I expect as a consumer and will offer my own future customers.

All we can really do as conscientous consumers is stay vigilant in our choice for healthier products, fight for the changes in legislation, and read, read, read those ingredient labels!

One of the best ways to know who to trust is if you used a product before the USDA certified organic label came out. Keep an eye on the companies you used before this; if you're new to the scene, you'll clearly have to do more searching to know what is what.

Certainly, one of the best ways to know what you are getting is to visit the place that makes what you buy. That's what I try to do, even when I take a trip I look for where the products I use are made, and stop by that business during my travels. Go meet the people, ask questions, and let them know they are selling products to real people - not "consumers". Better yet, find local products as best you can, and make what you can as well. It it means going to one less movie a month in order to make your own butter or peanut butter or soap, then so be it.

And yes, HR 2749 has potential to be an end-all to organic farming since it says that a farm that uses manure for fertilizer can be shut down since that is considered "unhealthy". Really? That's what people have used since the inception of agriculture! We're still here! It's only with the onset of industrial breeding and farming that we have serious problems. HR 2749 has to be stopped as far as I am concerned since it could be used to eliminate the organic farm that feeds me.

They can label a product as organic, as long as at least one ingredient is organic. I try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Organic India's teas and supplements are 100% organic. You can find these products at www.mercola.com

I am lucky that I live near a lot of farms. Not all are certified organic, but some don't use pesticides or harsh fertilizers. Some of the farmers cannot afford to get the certification. Plus, I save alot of money buying direct from the farmer.

When they don't have the seventh generation products I am lookin for, I buy Aubrey Organics. Most of their products are 100% organic.

I really try to feed my son Organic food because he is allergic to dairy product and scented ingredients. I am really disappointed tat we cannot trust some of these companies that is really ripping off consumers who are really tring to eat healthy and live a purer and greener lifestyle, especially our children.This just so sad and i am very disappointed Silk and Stoneyfield organic.

so how do i go about finding out whether or not a company uses something like hexane, since obviously that is not going to be listed in the ingredients? will they tell me if i call or will it be on their website? ...im in for some investigating.

A company's website is a good place to start your investigative work. You can also call the company's customer service number and/or email its customer service department email address, both generally found on the website.

awesome.good.is/features/009/009buyingorganic.html

Here's Phil Howards' chart of the major independents (pdf).

i appreciate the help!

I was wondering if those of you citing HR 2749 could point out the sections of concern. For example, the word "manure" only shows up once in the document and doesn't say anything about it being unhealthy or that it cannot be used as fertilizer. Thanks in advance for the elaboration.

...when things like this can be so frustrating and confusing, is generally try to stay away from things that have many ingredients (organic or not), and try to stay away from things that I know have a larger impact on the Earth and therefore me and my loved ones. For example, I make my own salsa; I don't buy it, organic or not. Then the ingredient list becomes much more easy to manage and the ingredient itself at least becomes a little to a lot more accessible (i.e. corn, black beans, tomatoes). Another example is, I try not to eat dairy, as it comes from animals which automatically, being animals, require large amounts of food intake (often improperly fed a more human diet or fillers than their natural diet) in order to produce small amounts of dairy output for milks, cheeses, yogurts, etc., and produce much waste and bring up issues of antibiotics carried through in their products which people consume. I try to get my complete proteins from things such as beans and rice eaten together, and I try to eat simple soy milks which are literally just beans and water.

While I know there are still brand trust issues, I try to buy from local farmers as much as I can, comprise my diet of all or mostly plants and freeze for the winter and eat seasonally in my state (i.e. lots of pumpkin in the fall, apples, etc). I also try not to use things which would be caustic to me or when run off into the water supply (i.e. cleaning chemicals, disposable wipes or paper towels, etc).

I cannot do it all, and in such a frustrating world of who is telling the truth and who is not and to what extent... by trying to simplify my diet and my habits and the chain they are involved in, I think I'm doing better for myself and my loved ones than by buying items at the store that say "organic." Best wishes to all in your decision making, and thank you all for this dialogue and information sharing. I had not known Kashi is owned by Kellogg, but then I try to make my own granola these days anyway. This is just further motivation -- thanks for that! Best to all.

...we should all be active in our government and its policies; people in other countries literally are kidnapped when they express and opinion or worry out loud.

PLEASE VOTE regarding your conscience on these matters.

Also, the fact that we lag behind ALL OTHER DEVELOPED NATIONS in our health care AS WELL AS SOME 3RD WORLD COUNTIES (developing nations) says much about our health care system and regulations, and about those other countries. It should NOT be inferred that government involvement detracts from food and health quality; in those other countries both food quality regulations AND health care are proven BETTER. It should be inferred that WE need to make wiser decisions about how our legislation goes (i.e. get educated and active and VOTE), so that our legislators can correct where our eating habits/regulations and health care already are and where they are headed.