The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to add 38 additional ingredients to the current list of substances permitted for use in organic food products.

These ingredients include non-organic colors, starches and oils, which could be used when an organic counterpart is not available. The proposed changes to the list are based on petitions made by industry.

According to the USDA, these substances are already in use in organic food production as a result of misinterpretations of current National List regulations. Organic producers may have thought that any non-organic agricultural substance could be used if an organic form was unavailable.

However, effective June 9, a rule will come into effect clarifying that only ingredients appearing in the National List are permitted.

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Dr. Mercola's Comment:

With the organic industry growing more than 20 percent per year, it's just natural that large manufacturers would want to capitalize on that growth as cheaply as possible.

Take the case of Wal-Mart, which recently tried to pass off non-organic goods as higher cost and higher quality organic products, but were caught by consumer fraud investigators in Wisconsin.

So it comes as no surprise that, at the behest of beer-making giant Anheuser-Busch, and meat and food processors, the USDA is proposing to sneak non-organic additives onto the list of foods allowed to qualify as "USDA Organic."

These ingredients would include:

• Casings of processed cows and pigs to be allowed in "organic" meats
• Hops grown with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for "organic" beer
• Fish oil unpurified of heavy metals, dioxin and PCBs to be added to "organic" baked goods, cereals, cheese and soups to elevate the omega-3 fatty acid content of foods
  

This move represents just another serious threat to the organic standards. It's also a slap in the face of consumers who pay more with the expectation that an organic label assures food of a higher quality. All the more reason to focus instead on finding cheaper local sources for real organic foods grown near you.

So the take-home message is that you need to understand that big business and the FDA are NOT on your side. They will do everything possible to maximize corporate profits with virtually no regard for food quality or your health.

Once you know and understand this, you can operate your life in reality rather than some delusional fantasy land that allows them to get away with this type of nonsense. Remember, it is your responsibility to Take Control of Your Health, not the government's or multi-national food or drug cartels'.

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