AR-News: FW: [Biodemocracy]Organic Bytes #30 - Food and Consumer Tidbits with anEdge!

[jim robertson]

>
>ORGANIC BYTES #30
>Food and Consumer News Tidbits with an Edge!
>3/29/2004    By Organic Consumers Association
>
>Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on
>websites, print it, and post it. Knowledge is power!
>
>---------------------------------
>
>NEW MAD COW REGULATIONS STILL MAKE US MAD
>In response to the discovery of the first case of Mad Cow Disease in the
>U.S. last December, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced
>it will increase testing of the nation's cattle up to 480,000 cows per
>year. Consumer groups, including the Organic Consumers Association and
>the Consumers Union, say these new projections for testing are
>completely inadequate, given that the U.S. Cattle industry slaughters 35
>million animals annually. The government and large beef corporations
>fear more tests since they know Mad Cow disease has now spread to more
>and more cattle in North America. However, many ranchers in Kansas,
>California, and other states, desperate to regain their export markets,
>say they're willing to test all cows, as Japan and other nations have
>demanded. http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/nytimes032204.cfm
>
>---------------------------------
>
>EARTH FRIENDLY LABELING LIES
>Consumers are quickly learning that government oversight of product
>labeling is all too loosely regulated. To add to the already existing
>confusion, the Hudson Institute's Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI),
>an agribusiness and biotech front group, has announced it will now be
>labeling qualifying products as "Earth Friendly". This designation will
>be placed on genetically engineered foods and factory farmed meat and
>dairy products.. The corporate-funded CGFI claim they have a right to
>label products as such, given their "scientific" opinion that certain
>aspects of GE crops and densely packed feedlots are better for the
>environment than organic agriculture.
>http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/labels031904.cfm
>
>---------------------------------
>
>SCARY FISH FACTS
>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released new safety guidelines
>for fish consumption, due to ever-increasing levels of mercury
>contamination. The fish containing the highest levels of mercury are:
>shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. The guidelines suggest
>eating up to two meals a week (totaling 12 ounces) of fish that are low
>in mercury such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and
>catfish.
>http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/fish032204.cfm
>
>---------------------------------
>
>GETTING JUNK FOOD OUT OF SCHOOLS
>With the Bush Administration's reduced funding for education, many
>school districts have been forced to seek other sources of income,
>including widespread installation of junk-food vending machines. School
>districts can make up to $100,000 per year under these contracts, but as
>a result of increased access to unhealthy foods, the childhood obesity
>and diabetes epidemics are on the increase. In response, two dozen
>states are now considering banning junk food vending machines in
>schools. The National Soft Drink Association is contesting this ban,
>claiming that high levels of junk food consumption are okay, and placing
>the blame on schools for not teaching the kids to exercise more.
>http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/obesity031904.cfm
>
>---------------------------------
>
>REGULATING ROCKET FUEL LEVELS IN WATER
>California has become the first state to consider regulating the levels
>of allowable toxic perchlorates in drinking water. The pollutant has
>been found in increasing levels in waterways around the U.S.,
>particularly in areas near military bases and test sites (the toxin is
>most commonly originates in rocket fuels). Perchlorates cause severe
>neurological and thyroid dysfunction and are currently unregulated. In
>related news, the U.S. Department of Defense is insisting to Congress it
>should not be forced to comply with any environmental regulations, as a
>matter of national security.
>http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/water032204.cfm
>_______________________________________________
>Biodemocracy mailing list
>Biodemocracy at lists.organicconsumers.org
>http://lists.organicconsumers.org/listinfo/biodemocracy

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