intellectual properties

grass is good

if you are interested in food-labelling, please visit the link below. while this specifically pertains to what the words “grass fed” mean on animal products, food-labelling and nomenclature is a very important issue in this GMO-world and consumer voices need to be heard.

for any of you who read Michael Pollan’s last book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” (or read about it here), or his New York Times Magazine essay “This Steer’s Life” – this is particularly relevant to that issue.

“USDA is proposing to revise requirements for “Grass Fed” labeling claims. While USDA has proposed tightening the grass fed definition to require 99% or more of a grass fed animals diet come from grass or forage, the current definition does not require these animals have access to pasture, or that the use of genetically engineered grass varieties be prohibited, nor does the definition include dairy products.

USDA is accepting public comments through TODAY Thursday, August 10th. Take action today to ensure we get what we expect when we buy products labeled as grass fed!”

Please take action (fill out form and click!) here:
http://ga3.org/campaign/grassfed_claim

if you want to read the long and not-well-formatted USDA public document on the subject, it’s here: http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/ls0509.txt

a couple of other links:

Time Magazine article on the “grass-fed revolution” in middle america

wikipedia grass-fed link, which notes:

“The Union of Concerned Scientists claims that the labeling proposal, which contains the clause “consumption of … grain in the immature stage is acceptable”, allows for “feed harvesting or stockpiling methods that might include significant amounts of grain.”

this is exactly why we need to comment to enforce that “grass fed” should mean GRASS.

moo.

Filed in food, health & vegetarianism | Tagged with pollan | Comment (0)