A recent salmonella outbreak that caused nine deaths and 700 reports of illness is being attributed to unsanitary conditions at organic peanut butter plants in Texas and Georgia. Though organic products are thought to be better for you than their conventional alternatives, they may not, as it turns out, be held to the same health standards.
In a recent report The New York Times subjected the USDA organic certification process to closer scrutiny with some shocking results. Federal regulations on organic food focus heavily on the use of pesticides, the types of animal feed allowed and a host of other agricultural practices, but do not strictly oversee health standards. Although organic inspectors are expected to report flagrant health violations, it isn't their primary concern. As Danny Jensen mentioned in his previous post, there are also a number of structural problems with the system. The government currently deputizes dozens of companies, organizations and state workers to inspect organic farms and factories, and they are often paid for their services. That means a number of these private inspectors actually benefit from their clients' organic certification, providing more than enough incentive for certifiers to turn a blind eye to violations.
In the case of the salmonella outbreak, the peanut butter plants responsible were given organic certification despite failing to receive health certifications from the state. In fact, their organic certification was not even reviewed until the factory had started recalling the infected peanut butter. USDA inspectors reported that the plants were infested with rodents and covered in animal feces and mold.
With the release of this information, consumers have become increasingly skeptical of the organic industry, which currently rakes in $11 billion annually. Followers of the organic movement are hopeful, however, that the newly appointed deputy agriculture secretary Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, a champion of organic farmers, will work to strengthen regulation and clean up the system.
takepart by learning more about our new documentary, Food, Inc. A recent salmonella outbreak that caused nine deaths and 700 reports of illness is being attributed to unsanitary conditions at organic peanut butter plants in Texas and Georgia. Though organic products are thought to be better for you than their conventional alternatives, they may not, as it turns out, be held to the same health standards.
In a recent report The New York Times subjected the USDA organic certification process to closer scrutiny with some shocking results. Federal regulations on organic food focus heavily on the use of pesticides, the types of animal feed allowed and a host of other agricultural practices, but do not strictly oversee health standards. Although organic inspectors are expected to report flagrant health violations, it isn't their primary concern. As Danny Jensen mentioned in his previous post, there are also a number of structural problems with the system. The government currently deputizes dozens of companies, organizations and state workers to inspect organic farms and factories, and they are often paid for their services. That means a number of these private inspectors actually benefit from their clients' organic certification, providing more than enough incentive for certifiers to turn a blind eye to violations.
In the case of the salmonella outbreak, the peanut butter plants responsible were given organic certification despite failing to receive health certifications from the state. In fact, their organic certification was not even reviewed until the factory had started recalling the infected peanut butter. USDA inspectors reported that the plants were infested with rodents and covered in animal feces and mold.
With the release of this information, consumers have become increasingly skeptical of the organic industry, which currently rakes in $11 billion annually. Followers of the organic movement are hopeful, however, that the newly appointed deputy agriculture secretary Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, a champion of organic farmers, will work to strengthen regulation and clean up the system.
takepart by learning more about our new documentary, Food, Inc. 
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