Whether or not that is acceptable is a question for
consumers — and it’s not a simple one. (The issue is so “sensitive,"
according to a public relations officer for Organic Valley, that the
organic foods giant deferred comment on this story to the Organic Trade
Association.)
On the one hand, consumers want fundamental
ingredients in their organic foods to be organic — particularly with
sausage because there is a high level of concern about feed lots and
other industrial-scale meat processing that can breed disease, said
Craig Minowa, an environmental scientist with the Organic Consumers
Association, which opposes the inclusion of several ingredients on the
USDA list.
“That’s one of those ingredients that is a really
touchy issue for a lot of organic consumers," he said, noting that
sausage casings is the No. 1 ingredient he would like to see removed
from the USDA list. “Diseases run more rampant in factory farm settings
because they are living in settings that aren’t conducive to their good
health."
For him, a non-organic sausage casing makes an otherwise organic sausage “off-limits."
On
the other hand, many consumers don’t aim for such purity — particularly
if they know that the meat is being raised ethically and in an
environmentally sound manner.
Many hog farmers raising animals
according to various “natural" standards have found that customers come
back once they learn about the practices each farm employs, even if
they are not certified organic.
The 12-year old Niman Ranch uses
a network of small farms certified by the Animal Welfare Institute.
They may feed hogs non-organic corn, but otherwise meet USDA organic
standards, said Paul Willis, a founder and director of pork for Niman
Ranch, and the extra expense isn’t worth the “piece of paper" that
would certify his farming practices.
He compared his Iowa farm —
a 20-acre pasture on 900 acres and 2,000 hogs — to an industrial farm
down the road that has 6,000 pigs inside a building of no more than a
couple acres. He composts pig manure on his fields, unlike his
neighbor, who pumps thousands of gallons of liquid waste underground,
where it can leach into the Iowa River.
His customers know his standards, and buy even know he doesn’t have the “organic" label.
“I guess," Willis said, “it comes right down to how much of a purist you want to be."
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SAFE FOOD WATCH: Truth In Organics
A
special report about the USDA organic program, and the government
proposal to allow dozens of non-organic ingredients in certified
“organic" foods.
The 38 Non-organic Ingredients In ‘USDA Organic’ Foods
What They Are, How They’re Used, And How They Made The List
When “Organic" Doesn’t Quite Mean Organic
If A Sausage Is Organic, Why Isn’t The Casing?
In-fighting In The Organic Movement
Two Prominent Organic Advocates Argue Over The Future Of Organic, And How To Grow The Market
How To Comment On The USDA’s Proposed Non-Organic List
The Public Has Until August 28 To Weigh In