The organic industry would be wise to guard its flank on this one. Still,
we need to acknowledge that, even in America, even in the organic industry,
water contamination is a very real possibility with the potential to
threaten the integrity of the industry. I believe we can adequately protect
the industry if instead we test, lobby, and promote the use of safe, and
reliable filtration systems. Such systems are common in several industries
like aerospace, semiconductor, and even conventional agribusiness food
manufacturing where liability concerns have caused managers to explore this
option. For those of us that do any backcountry camping, the technologies
of portable filtration equipment are readily familiar, adequate and
affordable. All of these systems are scale-able up to any size for just
about any application.
The organic producer and processor might balk at needing to use anything,
but I suspect that unless we aggressively push for this option, we will
soon be required by those less-informed about chlorine to adopt the
chemical-intensive technologies we deplore. Yes, it is likely that in the
short-run that chlorine and stainless steel are perhaps less-expensive, but
in the long-run, the filtration systems are superior ecologically and
economically when we consider full-costs. If we must bear a cost-burden to
protect our customers from the potential contaminants present, then let us
bear a burden that is coherent with our ethics. Perhaps we should organize
an appeal of the California requirement and a restructuring of the rule to
accomodate the filtration options?
In reference to the chlorine issue, I am pasting in the following message
from Europe:
_________________
Begin forwarded text:
X-Sender: tor-1914@pophost.ping.be
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Sun, 08 Mar 1998 17:46:07 +0100
To: infoterra@pan.cedar.univie.ac.at
From: Emmanuel de Broux <emmanuel.debroux@ping.be>
Subject: INFOTERRA: Brominated dioxins and furans - Polybrominated biphenyls -
Belgian cow milk.
Sender: owner-infoterra@cedar.univie.ac.at
Reply-To: Emmanuel de Broux <emmanuel.debroux@ping.be>
Hello, listers.
Nowadays, in Belgium and in France, dioxins make news headlines in
newspapers and magazines. When refering to dioxins (TCDD and congeners), it
is always the molecules containing chlorine which are considered. Bromine is
ignored. But I learned that TBDD and its congeners would be equally toxic.
Same thing for the PBBs.
I am looking for info on all this and would very much appreciate your
contribution.
Belgium plans to limit dioxins content of cow milk to 5 pg I-TEQ/g of fat.
In 1996, the Netherlands had proposed a limit to 1 pg I-TEQ/kg of
bodyweight. So, if you weigh 75 kg, it would be advisable to limit your
butter consumption to 15 g per day, and to avoid any other dioxins
containing food on that day. Do you think I am right?
Best regards, Manu.
Emmanuel de Broux, 7 rue du Sacre-Coeur, B-5590 LEIGNON, Belgium
Tel. + fax + a.m. 00 32 83 21 54 30 (In US, replace 00 by 011)
End forwarded text
___________________
>Howdy Saneters,
> As the danger of food born pathogens has awakened the state and federal
>government to the methods farmers use to clean and process salad greens and
>sprouts, I wonder how far regulations will go. Some say we are headed toward
>dunking everything we harvest and bunch in clorinated water in a stainless
>steel room. The definition of processing vegetables is tightening up. Some
>farmers I know have stopped producing alfalfa sprouts and salad mix because
>they lack a code kitchen (which is now required here in California).
> The question in my mind is where is this going? Is food still organic after
>its dipped in clorinated water? Are these kinds of regulations going to add
>one more step that keeps small farmers from entering the marketplace?
> I believe that consumers need some assurance that their salad mix was washed
>in clean water. I realize the impact that food born poisonings from organic
>food can do the the market place. Any Discussion?
>
>Thomas Wittman
>Molino Creek Farming Collective
>Davenport, Ca
>
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Best Wishes,
Douglas B. Johnson
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