[snipurl.com]

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Mercola is not a good source of information. He promotes a lot of kooky ideas, among them meat-eating. He also feels that shoe size is related to health.

>Mercola is not a good source of information. He promotes a lot of kooky ideas, among them meat-eating. He also feels that shoe size is related to health.<

Hey, if I find a treasure in a wastebasket, I'll take it-- know what I mean? Mercola believes in eating meat and vegetables-- classic Paleo diet. I don't, not at all. But that doesn't mean I don't trust the articles he publishes in his newsletters about Codex, FDA, and many other subjects. He's a good guy. I don't think he's 'kooky;' he's just not a raw foodist. I subscribe to his newsletter because he's very dedicated to health freedom and alternative health, and he offers a lot of wonderful information; I think anyone here is wise enough to discern what to take and what to reject from his offerings without throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Kwan,

Good info. Thanks for the post. After September, I will have to order directly from the farmers if I want non-pasteurized almonds as I see that I cannot cheat by the way they plan on "pasteurizing" the almonds with a toxin.

Therese

Thanks for alerting us Kwan.

There is a very good article on this in the May 2007 issue of Harvest Times. According to the article, the new USDA rule exempts certified organic farmers from having to fumigate their almonds with propylene oxide, but requires them to still steam heat all their almonds even though they may still label them "raw".

The only other exemption allowed is that small scale farmers may sell their truly raw almonds directly to the public from road-side stands.

Life 101, that means no one will be able to order truly raw organic almonds through the mail.

Very disturbing. Farmers are apparently very unhappy with this new law.

For those who are concerned enough to take action, the article includes the following: "The Cornucopia Institute is urging concerned consumers,retailers, and farmers to contact the USDA and demand that the new rule mandating "pasteurization" of almonds be reopened for public comment and review. Cornucopia has a comprehensive fact sheet on the almond issue on its web page at www.cornucopia.org/Almond_FactSheet.pdf and a sample letter for interested individuals to send to the USDA that can be found at www.cornucopia.org/Almond_SampleLetter.doc."

So, get to it folks, if you love your almonds.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2007 06:52PM by suncloud.

Life 101,

The Harvest Times article seems to say that the new rule only allows truly raw almonds to be sold direct to the public from roadside stands. That sounds like it will be illegal to sell truly raw almonds through the mail. Crazy, huh!

Suncloud--
Thanks for providing us with the information.

I live in a state that doesn't grow almonds, so I guess I won't be getting any more raw almonds anytime soon unless I have somebody 'black-market' them to me through the mail from California or Florida. Sheesh! I'm glad this so-called Almond Board was 'kind' enough to let organic farmers sell raw almonds locally, but yes, it sounds like food fascism, and it's very disturbing. We need to make a big noise about it, because this isn't likely to be the only food product they target for heating.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

suncloud,

Good info. We did have another thread regarding pasteurized almonds. In that thread, the URL below was posted. According to what they say, they will continue to have raw almonds. I don't know how your article relates to them but I'd like to know that somewhere we can still get raw almonds if I don't live in CA, FL, or any other state where almonds grow.

[wholesale-almonds.com]

Therese

Hi Life 101,

Unfortunately, it appears that G&S (WholesaleAlmonds.com)is mistaken in their interpretation of the rule. There's a link to the rule at the G&S site. Check the paragraph in the rule called "Specific Parameters of Mandatory Program". It says, "The rule only affects those who meet the definition of "handler" in Section 981.13 of the order (thus exempting growers selling through roadside stands)".

It comes down to the actual definition of the word "handler". If G&S is correct in saying that, "Handlers" are wholesale dealers that purchase almonds from growers", then sales from roadside stands are just an example of one kind of sale that's exempt from the rule, and growers can sell unpasteurized almonds any way they like, because they're not "handlers".

But unfortunately that's NOT the definition of "handler" as given in Section 981.13 of the rule itself. Section 981.13 states: "Handler means any person handling almonds during any crop year, except that such term shall not include either a grower who sells only almonds of his own production at retail at a roadside stand operated by him, or a person receiving almonds from growers and other persons and delivering these almonds to a handler."

According to the rule then, the only exemptions to the rule are sales by the grower at a roadside stand (very specific), or sales to middle men between the grower and the handler (ie, the almonds don't have to be pasteurized until they get to the final handler).

There's nothing that states that if you're a grower, then you're not a handler.

And there's nothing that states that if you'es a grower, you can sell unpasteurized almonds through the mail. The rule specifically lists the exemptions, and sales through the mail by the grower is not an exemption.

Note also that G&S does not grow their own organic almonds. They buy them from organic growers and then resell them. Even by their own definition then, they are a handler, not a grower; so any organic almonds they sell must be pasteurized.

G&S might be able to sue on the grounds that the rule is prejudiced in that it allows sales by the grower at a roadside stand, and not through the mail. There may even be some precedent in their favor. But as the rule stands now, D&S will not be able to legally sell any nonpasteurized almonds through the mail, organic or otherwise.

And no other grower or handler or anyone else will be able to sell nonpasteurized almonds through the mail or through a retailer or anywhere else except at a roadside stand.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2007 09:34PM by suncloud.

Sorry, I meant D&S, not G&S, at wholesale-almonds.com.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2007 09:40PM by suncloud.