USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the agency would begin focusing more attention on the growth of the organic industry, reports Food Safety News.
Read More:USDA to Invest in Growing Organic Food Segment
USDA to Invest in Growing Organic Food SegmentMay 20th, 2013 - Jill EttingerChicken Abuse Scandal Leads Germany to Redefine Organic Animal ProductsMarch 31st, 2013 - Jill Ettinger
The sanctity of the U.S. certified organic label has come under scrutiny recently as the USDA has approved the use of non-organic additives in organic foods and allows massive CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) to receive organic certification. In Germany, however, eggs now must be produced in non-industrial settings to receive organic certification after a recent egg scandal. Read More:Chicken Abuse Scandal Leads Germany to Redefine Organic Animal ProductsWhole Foods Invests in Nation’s First Certified Organic Indoor Aquaponic FarmOctober 27th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
With the amount of real estate Whole Foods Market has amassed from its giant natural and organic supermarkets located across the country, you’d think at least one location would turn its rooftop into an organic garden and supply the store below with the freshest, local organic produce.While that hasn’t happened…yet, the chain has announced that it has given a loan to support an urban organic farm project in Illinois. Read More:Whole Foods Invests in Nation’s First Certified Organic Indoor Aquaponic FarmBusted: USDA Finally Enforces Organic Standards at Shamrock FarmsDecember 17th, 2011 - Erin Shaw
Shamrock Farms is under fire from the USDA for questionable “split operation” livestock management practices that could get their organic certification revoked. The USDA investigation is in response to a formal complaint by the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog that first inspected Shamrock in 2008. Cornucopia found “inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility,” and learned from Shamrock employees that “the confined cows had not been out in weeks.” Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed, a practice that some factory-scale dairies shirk according to Cornucopia’s investigations. Read More:Busted: USDA Finally Enforces Organic Standards at Shamrock Farms |
