Tag: organic
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USDA Withdraws Organic Livestock and Poultry Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a final rule withdrawing the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule, leaving existing organic regulations in effect. The USDA announcement noted that withdrawal was opposed by “consumers, organic farmers, organic handlers, organizations representing animal welfare, environmental, or farming interests, trade associations, certifying agents and inspectors, and retailers.”…
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Dairy Test May Support Grass-Fed Milk Mislabeling Claims
Iowa State University researchers have reportedly developed an inexpensive method to test whether milk was produced by grass-fed cows. Fluorescence spectroscopy, which measures light to identify the amount of chlorophyll metabolized by cows, may help regulators enforce organic milk standards requiring cows to eat a minimum of 30 percent foraged grass. The researchers reportedly found…
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Organic Group Objects to Withdrawal of OLPP
A group of organic food producers, retailers and certifiers has published a full-page advertisement in The Washington Post containing the text of a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue expressing the group’s objection to the withdrawal of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices Rule. In the letter, the group says the elimination of the rule…
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USDA Proposes Changes to Organic National List
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks public comment on proposed amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances that would change restrictions on some items and allow new ones. Among the changes that USDA proposes are the suggested additions of activated charcoal, mineral oil, nutritive supplements and propylene glycol. The deadline for…
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Court Rules Organic Labeling Suit Preempted by Federal Law
A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging Earth’s Best falsely labels its infant and toddler foods as organic, asserting that the foods contain at least 29 ingredients not permitted to be labeled as such under the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA). Organic Consumers Ass’n v. Hain Celestial Grp., Inc., No. 16-0925 (D.D.C., entered…
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USDA Announces Delay for Organic Livestock Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has delayed the effective date of the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule until May 14, 2018. The rule’s original effective date was set for January 19, 2017. According to the announcement, “significant policy and legal issues addressed within the final rule warranted further review by USDA.” In September…
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Consumers Confused By Natural, GMO and Organic Labeling
Researchers have reportedly found that consumers are unsure what “natural,” “organic” and “Non-GMO Project Verified” mean when the phrases appear on food labels. Konstantinos G. Syrengelas et al., “Is the Natural Label Misleading? Examining Consumer Preferences for Natural Beef,” Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, October 2017; Brandon R. McFadden, et al., “Effects of the National Bioengineered Food…
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Online and Mail-Order Sellers Must Obtain Organic Permits, ECJ Rules
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that all online and mail-order sellers of organic products—including small producers and sellers that would otherwise be exempt from the requirements—must obtain sales permits to avoid fraud and mislabeling and maintain “consumer confidence” in products labeled as organic. Kamin und Grill Shop GmbH v. Zentrale zur Bekampfung…