Following is a disturbing post from Iconoculture, one of the email blasts I receive.
The close of 2008 and the opening of 2009 brought a trifecta of disturbing stories that have food-aware consumers reeling.
One: The FDA issued a proposal saying (to paraphrase) that despite reports to the contrary from our country's own environmental agency, consumers should eat more fish — mercury poisoning be damned (Chicago Tribune 12.14.08). Consumers, already confused about seafood, don't know which governmental advice to trust, the EPA's or the FDA's.
Two: Turns out that one "organic" fertilizer company, California Liquid Fertilizer, was secretly spiking its stuff with synthetics. Its Big Organic clients didn't know, but the California Department of Food and Agriculture did— and did nothing to stop it for three years (SacBee.com 12.28.08). Yes, this means that consumers now have good reason to doubt the Certified Organic label.
Three: A reporter from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found that honey labels are none too sweet, either (1.2.09). From place-of-origin to certified organic status to grade levels, Big Honey has been found to (often) lie through its comb teeth. Consumers currently have no way of knowing whether the label accurately indicates what's inside.
With money so tight these days, shoppers need something to believe in, especially if they're being asked to cough up a couple extra bucks for the "good stuff." So really: If we can't believe what we read on the label, how do we know what the good stuff is?
Disturbing!!! How do they get away with this??
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