37 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 10 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
General News    H4'ed 8/11/12

Corporations Sneak Synthetic Preservatives into Organic Food

By The Cornucopia Institute  Posted by Will Fantle (about the submitter)       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   1 comment
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Will Fantle

Organic Watchdog Files Formal Legal Complaint with USDA

CORNUCOPIA, WI:  The Cornucopia Institute, a not-for-profit policy research organization based in Wisconsin, filed a formal legal complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) against several infant formula manufacturers that are adding two synthetic preservatives to certified organic infant formula.

--

-- Image courtesy of Imbuga

The Organic Foods Production Act, passed by Congress in 1990, explicitly bans synthetic preservatives in organic food.

"This is another blatant violation of the federal law governing organics by multi-billion dollar corporations that apparently think they can get away with anything," says Charlotte Vallaeys, Director of Farm and Food Policy at The Cornucopia Institute.

The preservatives are beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate, synthetics that are added to infant formula to prevent the oxidation and rancidity of ingredients such as the controversial patented supplements DHA and ARA, manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corporation (Royal DSM) and marketed as Life'sDHA -.

"This is not the first time that the pharmaceutical companies and agribusinesses, that manufacture infant formula, have quietly added to organic formula the same synthetic ingredients that they use in their conventional versions without first seeking the legally required approval for use in organics," says Vallaeys. 

According to The Cornucopia Institute, there have been more than a dozen unapproved synthetic ingredients that have been added to organic infant formula over the past five years.  The public interest group has filed numerous legal complaints with the USDA, asking for removal of unapproved synthetic ingredients like the DHA algal oil and ARA fungal oils, manufactured by Martek, which was recently acquired by the Dutch conglomerate Royal DSM.

While the USDA has admitted publicly that these synthetics were added to organics due to an erroneous interpretation by previous USDA leadership, the agency, after being pressured by industry, has refused to take enforcement action and pull the suspect products from store shelves.

The Martek DHA and ARA oils, labeled on infant formula as "c. cohnii oil" and "m. alpina oil," have been controversial since the preponderance of scientific published research concluded that they do not benefit infant development.  "These ingredients, which now appear to require additional synthetics as preservatives, amount to a gimmicky and risky marketing ploy," added Vallaeys.

When formula with Martek's DHA and ARA first came on the market, the FDA received numerous adverse reaction reports from parents and healthcare providers who noted serious gastrointestinal symptoms in babies who had previously tolerated formula without the Martek DHA and ARA oils.

Synthetic beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate, according to the International Formula Council (the industry's trade-lobby group), contribute no nutritional value to infant formula, but rather serve to prevent oxidation and rancidity.

Organic standards require that a synthetic ingredient cannot qualify for use in organic foods if its primary purpose is as a preservative.  The International Formula Council, which is now petitioning the USDA to legalize the use of these synthetic materials in organics, never uses the word "preservative" to describe synthetic beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate.  They instead use terms like "antioxidant" to "prevent undesirable oxidation" and "prevent rancidity" in "powder formulations containing DHA and ARA."

The federal organic standards also require that synthetics be allowed in organic foods only if they are deemed essential.

"The only reason why these two synthetic preservatives are added to infant formula is to prevent the rancidity of some of the other synthetic ingredients that are not essential and have also been added illegally," says Vallaeys.  "This is a slippery slope, and we urge the USDA to take appropriate enforcement action and put an end to the practice of first adding synthetic additives to organic food, including infant formula, and then seeking subsequent approval."

In its complaint, Cornucopia also asked the USDA to investigate the formula manufacturers' organic certifying agent, Quality Assurance International (QAI).  QAI is one of the largest organic certifying agents, and has come under fire in the past for certifying organic livestock operations that failed to meet the organic standards for animal welfare and outdoor access.  QAI has also allowed its clients to add a number of other allegedly illegal synthetic ingredients to organic food and livestock feed.

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Funny 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Will Fantle Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

I work for The Cornucopia Institute. We are a non-profit that works to protect sustainable/organic food and small-scale farming. We often write press releases surrounding what is happening in the industry and what our research discovers. You can (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact EditorContact Editor
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Organic: Food Justice for the 99% (Response to Time Magazine/Dr. Oz denigration of organic consumers)

Not Good Enough for Pet Food: Chinese Organic Food Scrutinized at Congressional Hearing

Organic Industry Watchdog: FDA Food Safety Rules Threaten to Crush the Good Food Movement

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend