Tag: organic
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Ohio Will Not Pursue Dairy Labeling Restrictions
According to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), Ohio has decided not to pursue regulations that would prohibit dairy producers from including on their labels statements that organic dairy products are made without antibiotics, pesticides or synthetic hormones. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals determined in September 2010 that those parts of the rule involving hormone-free…
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Cornucopia Institute Claims “Natural” Is Often Meaningless Marketing Hype
The Cornucopia Institute has published a report titled “Cereal Crimes: How ‘Natural’ Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label—A Look Down the Cereal and Granola Aisle.” Noting that, with one exception, no government agency has defined what the term “natural” means on food packages, the organization explains how companies that make cereal products exploit…
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Certified Organic Beef Ranchers Sue Government for Herbicide Spraying
Alleging that a government contractor sprayed an herbicide on their property as part of transmission-line maintenance, the owners of a state-certified organic beef farm in Skagit County, Washington, have sued the U.S. government and the contractor for damages incurred by the contamination of their property. Benson v. United States, No. 11-1619 (W.D. Wash., filed September…
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Study Claims Organic Poultry Lower in Drug-Resistant Bacteria
A recent study has claimed that after adopting organic practices and ceasing the use of antibiotics, large-scale poultry farms had “significantly lower levels” of antibiotic-resistant and multidrug resistant (MDR) Enterococcus than their conventional counterparts. Amy Rebecca Sapkot, et al., “Lower Prevalence of Antibiotic-resistant Enterococci On U.S. Conventional Poultry Farms That Transitioned to Organic Practices,” Environmental…
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Pesticide Drift over Organic Fields May Constitute Actionable Trespass
A Minnesota appellate court has ruled, as a matter of first impression, that “a trespass action can arise from a chemical pesticide being deposited in discernable and consequential amounts onto one agricultural property as the result of errant overspray during application directed at another.” Johnson v. Paynesville Farmers Union Coop. Oil Co., Nos. A10-1596 and…
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NOP Allows Continued Use of 12 Substances in Organic Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) has issued a final rule renewing exemptions for 12 substances on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, which governs the use of synthetic and nonsynthetic ingredients in organic production and handling. After reviewing public input, the National Organic Standards Board recommended renewals for the…
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NOP Retains Access to Pasture Rules for Ruminant Slaughter Stock
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) has evidently declined to revisit a final rule published February 17, 2010, that dealt with access to pasture requirements for livestock. In addition to establishing “a pasture practice standard for ruminant animals,” the rule established conditions for organic slaughter stock at “finish feeding” operations, where cattle…
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National Organic Program Issues Four Final Guidance Documents
The National Organic Program (NOP) has announced the availability of four final guidance documents to help accredited certifying agents and certified operations comply with NOP regulations. Titled “Compost and Vermicompost in Organic Crop Production (NOP 5021),” “Wild Crop Harvesting (NOP 5022),’’ ‘‘Commingling and Contamination Prevention in Organic Production and Handling (NOP 5025),’’ and ‘‘The Use…