I'm forwarding this note I got from my friend Rebecca. This is really sad.
hello all~
for all those concerned about our food supplies becoming even more nutrient-deprived and toxic, please read below...
and make a call/ send an email--the deadline for comments is TODAY, Monday, 3 Dec.
the idea is that the USDA is going to require that all greens be *pasteurized* prior to sale (first almonds, then leafy greens, this is crazy!!!)~and "pasteurize" is often a euphemism for "irradiate".
please follow the instructions below or call your senators and representatives directly to voice your opinion--the public comment period ends TODAY. yikes!
i dont want my lettuce cooked!
check out the links below for more information.
www.caff.org/foodsafety/
snipurl.com/1ug7d
love,
rebecca
Protect Fresh Leafy Greens and Family Farms
Federal Regulations Would Harm Sustainable Farmers and Biodiversity
We need your help in another battle to stop the slippery slope toward a sterilized and industrialized food system that threatens biodiversity and the very existence of family-scale farms that grow food in a safe, healthy, and environmentally sustainable way.
In response to the E. coli 0157 outbreaks last year in bagged spinach, the USDA is considering a change in the federal regulations that could potentially require growers of all fresh leafy green vegetables to follow specified guidelines in the fields and during post-harvest handling. The federal rules would be similar to the California guidelines that were set by large-scale operations after the outbreaks. The guidelines include growing practices that discourage biodiversity and sustainable/organic farming practices, deplete soil fertility, and create "sterile" fields—methods that have not been scientifically proven to actually reduce E. coli 0157 bacteria but are certain to reduce biodiversity, harm wildlife, and burden family-scale farms.
Small- and medium-scale farmers would bear the greatest financial and logistical burden of such specified guidelines. For example, if the rules require testing for pathogens at every harvest—as they currently do in California—then large-scale farms that grow one type of crop and harvest only one to three times per season would pay much less than smaller and more diverse farms that continually harvest many types of vegetables. If regulations dictate a single set of growing practices and food safety measures, which are appropriate for large-scale "factory farms" but not for diverse family farms, we risk losing the very farms that grow leafy greens in a healthy and sustainable way. A one-size-fits-all regulation will not work!
The rules threaten biodiversity and environmental sustainability in several ways. Farmers would be encouraged to eliminate wildlife and any vegetation that may provide habitat for wildlife. The rules also discourage the development of microbial life in the soil. These methods have not been shown to reduce the risk of harmful bacterial contamination. In fact, sustainable farming methods that promote microbial life in soil have shown to reduce E. coli 0157 because it has to compete with other microbes and is therefore less likely to thrive. However, the aim of these rules seems to be for sterile fields that support no forms of life, except for the leafy greens.
We must make our voices heard, telling the USDA that we do not support federal rules that would put a great financial and logistical burden on family-scale farmers, discourage environmentally healthy ways of farming, and harm wildlife.
Taking action is easy, but with a December 3 deadline for submitting comments to the USDA, we need your help today. Please tell the USDA that food safety is an important concern, but that mandating measures with no scientific basis that will put small farmers out of business, and harm wildlife, is not the way to go.
Please submit your comments today by downloading the sample letter below or writing your own message and posting it online (see instructions below), or faxing it in. The USDA is specifically asking citizens to comment on its plan to implement these rules, and it's important that you tell the USDA that you want to ensure access to fresh, leafy greens and that you oppose a Marketing Order or Marketing Agreement that would impose federal standards for all growers of leafy greens. Remember that every comment counts, but individualized messages/letters carry more weight than form letters.
1) To submit online:
Go to www.regulations.gov. In the middle of the screen, you will see "Search Documents."
In Step 1, choose "Documents with an open comments period"
In Step 2, choose "Department of Agriculture"
In Step 3, choose "PROPOSED RULES"
In Step 4, choose "Docket ID" and then type in "AMS-FV-07-0090"
Hit "Submit."
Next, you will see a column titled "Comments, add/due by." Click on the tiny tan dialogue icon, and you are now ready to submit your information and your comment.
2) To fax: (202) 720-8938.
** Please make sure that your letter references Docket Number AMS–FV–07–0090.
In addition to the Cornucopia website more information on this matter is available by visiting the California-based Community Alliance for Family Farmers' website at www.caff.org/foodsafety/. We thank CAFF for their diligence on this issue.
hello all~
for all those concerned about our food supplies becoming even more nutrient-deprived and toxic, please read below...
and make a call/ send an email--the deadline for comments is TODAY, Monday, 3 Dec.
the idea is that the USDA is going to require that all greens be *pasteurized* prior to sale (first almonds, then leafy greens, this is crazy!!!)~and "pasteurize" is often a euphemism for "irradiate".
please follow the instructions below or call your senators and representatives directly to voice your opinion--the public comment period ends TODAY. yikes!
i dont want my lettuce cooked!
check out the links below for more information.
www.caff.org/foodsafety/
snipurl.com/1ug7d
love,
rebecca
Protect Fresh Leafy Greens and Family Farms
Federal Regulations Would Harm Sustainable Farmers and Biodiversity
We need your help in another battle to stop the slippery slope toward a sterilized and industrialized food system that threatens biodiversity and the very existence of family-scale farms that grow food in a safe, healthy, and environmentally sustainable way.
In response to the E. coli 0157 outbreaks last year in bagged spinach, the USDA is considering a change in the federal regulations that could potentially require growers of all fresh leafy green vegetables to follow specified guidelines in the fields and during post-harvest handling. The federal rules would be similar to the California guidelines that were set by large-scale operations after the outbreaks. The guidelines include growing practices that discourage biodiversity and sustainable/organic farming practices, deplete soil fertility, and create "sterile" fields—methods that have not been scientifically proven to actually reduce E. coli 0157 bacteria but are certain to reduce biodiversity, harm wildlife, and burden family-scale farms.
Small- and medium-scale farmers would bear the greatest financial and logistical burden of such specified guidelines. For example, if the rules require testing for pathogens at every harvest—as they currently do in California—then large-scale farms that grow one type of crop and harvest only one to three times per season would pay much less than smaller and more diverse farms that continually harvest many types of vegetables. If regulations dictate a single set of growing practices and food safety measures, which are appropriate for large-scale "factory farms" but not for diverse family farms, we risk losing the very farms that grow leafy greens in a healthy and sustainable way. A one-size-fits-all regulation will not work!
The rules threaten biodiversity and environmental sustainability in several ways. Farmers would be encouraged to eliminate wildlife and any vegetation that may provide habitat for wildlife. The rules also discourage the development of microbial life in the soil. These methods have not been shown to reduce the risk of harmful bacterial contamination. In fact, sustainable farming methods that promote microbial life in soil have shown to reduce E. coli 0157 because it has to compete with other microbes and is therefore less likely to thrive. However, the aim of these rules seems to be for sterile fields that support no forms of life, except for the leafy greens.
We must make our voices heard, telling the USDA that we do not support federal rules that would put a great financial and logistical burden on family-scale farmers, discourage environmentally healthy ways of farming, and harm wildlife.
Taking action is easy, but with a December 3 deadline for submitting comments to the USDA, we need your help today. Please tell the USDA that food safety is an important concern, but that mandating measures with no scientific basis that will put small farmers out of business, and harm wildlife, is not the way to go.
Please submit your comments today by downloading the sample letter below or writing your own message and posting it online (see instructions below), or faxing it in. The USDA is specifically asking citizens to comment on its plan to implement these rules, and it's important that you tell the USDA that you want to ensure access to fresh, leafy greens and that you oppose a Marketing Order or Marketing Agreement that would impose federal standards for all growers of leafy greens. Remember that every comment counts, but individualized messages/letters carry more weight than form letters.
1) To submit online:
Go to www.regulations.gov. In the middle of the screen, you will see "Search Documents."
In Step 1, choose "Documents with an open comments period"
In Step 2, choose "Department of Agriculture"
In Step 3, choose "PROPOSED RULES"
In Step 4, choose "Docket ID" and then type in "AMS-FV-07-0090"
Hit "Submit."
Next, you will see a column titled "Comments, add/due by." Click on the tiny tan dialogue icon, and you are now ready to submit your information and your comment.
2) To fax: (202) 720-8938.
** Please make sure that your letter references Docket Number AMS–FV–07–0090.
In addition to the Cornucopia website more information on this matter is available by visiting the California-based Community Alliance for Family Farmers' website at www.caff.org/foodsafety/. We thank CAFF for their diligence on this issue.
posted by:
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Los Angeles
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Re: Pasteurization of Dark Leafy Greens?? Today is the last day to comment!
Mon, December 3, 2007 - 2:14 PMEzekiel, thank you SO MUCH for bringing this to our attention!
I had no idea this bad idea was even being considered! First almonds & now all leafy greens?!!! It almost feels surreal. If they hadn't just done it w/ almonds, I'd think there's NO WAY they'd do this. This is just crazy. Please, everybody, drop everything & comment! Here's what I wrote:
I am an American who has educated herself about diet & nutrition so that I & my family can live optimally healthy lives. I am extremely distressed to learn of this proposed rule to pasteurize all leafy greens.
I realize & appreciate that your organization is trying to protect the health & safety of Americans, but I believe pasteurization is the wrong way to go about it.
The health benefits associated with eating a diet rich in live, fresh, leafy greens is well established. By pasteurizing leafy greens, the enzymes in the greens will die and with them go many of the vitamins & nutrients that make eating fresh leafy greens so good for our health.
If farms choose to pasteurize their produce to prevent E.coli from harming their customers, that is fine, but their produce should be clearly labeled for the consumer to make an informed decision. I also think it should be the farm's choice as to whether or not to pasteurize their produce. Considering how many millions of Americans consume leafy greens every year versus how many Americans were harmed by the E.coli outbreak, I believe forcing all farms to pasteurize their produce is a gross overreaction.
I strongly oppose any Marketing Order or Marketing Agreement that would impose federal standards for all growers of leafy greens. Thank you for your time in considering my comments.
Sincerely,
Jeni
