LABEL IT NOW e-Book: The Most Important $3 You Can Spend

Written by Max Goldberg on April 12, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

If you’re a frequent reader of my blog, you know that aside from writing about organic products, restaurants, and trends, I dedicate a good amount of time to what is happening politically in regards to the organic industry.

The reason I do this is the because genetically-modified foods (GMOs) are an extremely serious threat to both the long-term viability of organic and the health of our fellow citizens.

Furthermore, it is a topic that does not receive accurate or adequate coverage in mainstream media.

The unfortunate reality is this.

A very high percentage of the U.S. population does not know what GMOs are and does not understand the very grave health risks that GMOs pose. Even worse, they don’t realize how our government is not protecting our health nor upholding our rights as American citizens.

For those of us who live in the U.S., we have a fundamental right to know if the food we are eating is genetically-modified or not. Read More »

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Just Label It Campaign Secures One Million Signatures. Now What?

Written by Max Goldberg on April 3, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

A week ago, the Just Label It campaign announced that it had secured 1 million signatures, the highest ever for a food-related protest to the FDA.

In case you are not familiar with the Just Label It campaign, here’s a quick summary.

Last fall, a petition was filed with the FDA to mandate that genetically-modified foods (GMOs) be labeled. For several months, people could comment on this filing and a nationwide campaign was established (Just Label It) to help raise awareness, build support, and gather signatures.

The window to submit comments to the FDA closed last week, and we were able to submit a record-setting 1 million signatures.

Why is this initiative so important? Read More »

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Every American Needs to be Involved in California’s GMO Labeling Initiative – Read Why

Written by Max Goldberg on March 26, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

5/10/12 UPDATE: WE GOT ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO BE ON THE BALLOT LATER THIS FALL. PLEASE READ BELOW TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE.

Whether you care about organic food or not, the ballot initiative in California to require mandatory labeling of genetically-modified food (officially known as the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act) impacts you.

This is because current regulations are violating our rights as American citizens, and that should outrage you.

Approximately 70-80% of the food on supermarket shelves contains genetically-modified ingredients, widely known as GMOs. GMOs are species that have been designed in laboratories and have had organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, inserted into them.

Our government has a long list of requirements for food packaging labels – nutritional information, country of origin, etc. – yet disclosing genetically-modified ingredients is not one of them. Exactly, why is this? Read More »

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Another Reason to Buy Organic – The Link Between Genetically-Modified Foods and Fertility Problems

Written by Max Goldberg on March 23, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

For people who are new to organic, the first question they generally have is “Why should I be eating this food?”

The easy response is “because organic food does not contain synthetic and toxic chemicals”.

Organic food also forbids the use of genetically-engineered ingredients, often known as GMOs (genetically-modified organisms).

Since GMOs are a little bit more complicated and a little less tangible, this point either gets overlooked or is not fully understood.

GMOs are species that have been altered, manipulated and designed in a laboratory, and foreign genes, such as viruses or bacteria, have been inserted into them. Read More »

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Cornucopia Institute Requests that the USDA National Organic Program be Investigated for Corruption Charges over its Approval of Synthetic DHA and ARA Supplements

Written by Max Goldberg on January 26, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Let me say right up front that I support the USDA’s national organic certification program. Why?

Because it is the only nationally-recognized and accepted system we have in place for organic standards.

I firmly believe that the more people we have participating and engaged in the system, the stronger it will become. Conversely, the more people who opt out of the system, the weaker it will become.

That being said, it is by no means perfect. And just as is in every other area of our society, big companies in the organic sector use lobbyists in Washington D.C. to enact policies that will benefit them financially.

Even though organic has social ideals that many other industries do not, we can’t forget that organic is big, big business – $27 billion a year.

As I wrote about recently, the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) agreed to allow illegal, synthetically-derived additives – commonly marketed as DHA and ARA — into certified organic products. Read More »

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