AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW        CONTACT: Ronnie Cummins 218-226-4164

June 19, 2007                                        

WASHINGTON, DC- The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is urging the USDA to not go ahead with their controversial proposal to allow 38 new non-organic ingredients in products bearing the “USDA Organic” seal. The USDA missed a deadline last Friday to release the list of non-organic ingredients that could be labeled as organic, but is still considering going ahead with this rule that would significantly damage organic standards.

This latest sneak attack on organic standards was developed with absolutely no input from consumers. The USDA proposal has raised the concerns of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), as well as a number of smaller organic companies and organic certifiers who say that if passed, this proposal will weaken the organic seal and damage consumer confidence in products labeled €œUSDA Organic.”

The Following OCA staff and board members are available for interview:

 

Ronnie Cummins, Executive Director, has been fighting for organic standards and food safety for over a decade. He has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs, including NPR and CNBC, been quoted in newspapers such as The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and is the author of Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers.

Craig Minowa, environmental scientist, has been actively working as a researcher and writer for environmental nonprofits for over a decade. His academic background is in organic-chemistry, physics and the bio-sciences. He is also an Official Advisor to the United Nations on issues of water privatization and indigenous rights.

Alexis Baden-Mayer, Esq., is a Washington, DC based attorney who works with OCA.

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