|
|
|
|
.
.
.
.
***I do not want in any way shape or form government regulations mandating "pasteurization" "irradiation" or any other forms of chemical toxicity being put on this nation's fresh food supply. The federal government needs to find another place to put their excess supply of nuclear waste; it does not belong in our food supply!!!!!
Legislation should NEVER have been passed to do this to our fresh almond
supply!!
One wonders if these companies that are so greedy for MONEY that they do not
look ahead to the effects of these actions----sterile soil, zero nutrient value of our food supply, forcing small organic farmers out of business, 
EXTINCTION OF THE HUMAN AND ANIMAL SPECIES WORLD WIDE.
In America, we should have the RIGHT to have access to safe food free from all
the chemical toxicity, if that is our choice. Forced chemical consumption
SHOULD NOT BE MANDATED. The last time I checked America was a land of
DEMOCRACY, not a land of DICTATORSHIP, which is where we are going if this
kind of legislation is passed.
PLEASE TAKE MY WORDS TO HEART, AND OTHERS, WHO DO NOT WANT THIS PASSED,
AND VETO THIS BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sincerely, One highly pissed off American if this is allowed to pass!
Diane Bustance
Hastings Michigan
America -- Land of the (used to be) Free
*** I am opposed to mandatory irradiation of any food. If consumers wish to buy irradiated food, that should be their choice. I do not believe that we fully understand the health consequences of eating irradiated food, not to mention to potential dangers to agricultural workers who will be exposed to the irradiating agent(s).
***The government is just now recognizing the importance of fresh fruit and vegetables in our diet. It is important not only for our health but for our planet. Now with the possibility of irradiation and chemicals we are changing from one health risk to another. Why does "progress" continually jeopardize the health and welfare of our nation. Especially our children. Irradiation destroys nutrients in our foods. Benzene which is used in irradiation is a known carcinogen. Let our government start supporting and subsidizing out organic farmers. Not the food, meat and dairy industries. Let's get healthy, not chemically poisoned.
Please do not irradiate our foods.. ( any of them)
Sincerely,
jeana weiss
***I object to mandatory "pasteurization" of leafy greens. I select my food based on freshness, wholesomeness, and price. The best source of greens are small local farmers. The requirements that they use irradiation technology is not economically reasonable for them. This proposed requirement to
irradiate/pasteurize food would require raising the price and lenghtening the time
between picking and selling, which affects freshness.
Furthermore, I don't associate the methods of irradiating/pasteurizing with
wholesome food. Sanitation in the fields and washing greens are required;
pasteurization is not. If other people want to eat this way, it is available for them. But to make it mandatory for all producers is just wrong.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my views on this important matter.
***Absolutely NO! Are you people losing your perspective of protecting the public?
First of all, Louis Pasteur would be aghast at the use of his good name being
applied to un-biological irradiation of otherwise healthy foods. Second of all,
the instances of any bacteria in leafy greens harming anybody is statistically
so small that it is using a cannon to kill a mosquito--probably much worse.
If there is any problem with, E. coli, for example, contaminating greens, then
take it up with the sources of the bacteria, don't subject producers and
consumers of healthy foods to unhealthy (no matter what the manufacturers claim)
overkill. Please rethink this unwarranted strategy.
PETE
Peter J. Gallo
***
 We need to clean upthe FDA and USDA if we ever hope To have a Clean, Safe Food Supply |
Dear Department of Agriculture Representative,
I have reviewed the Industry Guide to Minimize Food Safety Hazards for Fresh
Fruits and Vegetables and believe it is wise to ensure and standardize the clean
and sanitary chain-of-handling for all fruits and vegetables. I encourage you to
aggressively pursue every possible method that does not alter the quality of the
food itself or the quality of the environment.
By and large, the recommendations in the "Industry Guide" are excellent, but I
would respectfully ask that you please do not implement any guidelines that will
alter the integrity of the produce itself. There is much scientific and anecdotal
evidence suggesting that even modest "processing" of fruits and vegetables, such
as with heat or irradiation, can diminish the nutrient content and quality.
I am a citizen who is deeply grateful for the safeguards and freedoms of this
country. I sincerely appreciate the effort you are making to protect us from
microbial pathogens. I ask also that you maintain our freedom to acquire the
most wholesome and nutritious foods available - which includes keeping our foods
truly whole and unprocessed.
Thank you for your time. If you wish to contact me in regards to this matter, my
email is ONeillPaul@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Paul Robert O'Neill
York County, Pennsylvania
***Good morning, I am totally opposed to the implementation of this plan to irradiate greens, and all vegetables, and the irradiation of food in general.
I also oppose you're high handed back door methods of initiating these new
procedures, with little, if any public disclosure, or input.
I repeat "totally opposed" thnx
***Gentlemen:
If irradiation is being considered to our Nation's living foods, I want to be on the record that I oppose this methodology as fringe lunacy and smacks of special interest groups planning to utilize nuclear waste which has no business being around healthy living plant (or human) tissue.
Certainly a proven method such as mild chlorine baths would eradicate almost all
potential pathogens - something that every consumer can easily do for their
families and the restaurant industry as well. Please oppose this destruction of life force energy and do not be party to this continued decent to National poor health due in part to excesses in food processing.
Your children's health is at stake as well.
VJCade
Ft. Lauderdale , FL
***We should NOT pasteurize our leafy greens! "Pasteurizing" really means irradiating them with toxic chemicals. Our food supply already does not have the nutrients it once had, and now we are further destroying the nutrient value through our farming techniques and practices such as irradiation. Our bodies need these nutrients to live strong healthy! I strongly feel that agri-business corporations need to take responsibility and use more hygienic handling practices and prudent shipping methods, even if it costs them a little more, rather than passing the burden on to the consumer in the form of toxic, devitalized food devoid of most of its nutritional value.
*** Docket and Document Information
Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090 Docket Title Food Safety Regulations for Leafy Greens
Under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (AMAA) Document ID
AMS-FV-07-0090-0001 Document Title Handling Regulations for Leafy Greens Under
the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937
The proposal to "pasteurize" leafy greens is a disaster and should be abandoned. Treatment methods (other than washing in water) impose an unacceptable degradation of the value of all raw foods and especially organic foods. Health safety concerns should be addressed through improved shipping and handling, *NEVER* through mandated treatment of the raw foodstuffs such as treatment with chemicals, irradiation or other methods.
Further, I protest the government's use of the term "pasteurization" to describe
treatment of leafy greens. Pasteurization refers to a specific method of gently
raising the temperature of certain foods, such as milk, to kill pathogens. The government's use of this term constitutes a sleazy attempt to take a term considered benign by the public, and misapply it to describe other treatment methods that are NOT benign. The term "pasteurization" is the sheep's clothing in which the government is wrapping a predatory treatment method that will substantially harm the public good.
I also protest the government's attempt to sneak the proposed regulations into
force by having an unusually short comment period with virtually no publicity to
solicit public comment. This action creates the appearance of impropriety.
(Read: corrupt relationships with large agribusiness corporations.)
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION HEREBY REQUESTED.
***Why are you even consider making the food that we eat toxic? Maybe I am naive, and yet so many proposals that are being made don't make any sense. I have learned that there is a proposal for federal regulations to mandate the "pasteurization" of all greens. And even though I am not exactly sure what that means, then it gets worse: the FDA has started using the word "pasteurize" as a euphemism or cover for what they really are up to, which is irradiation. IS THIS TRUE?? We've seen this coming (they've already mandated "pasteurizing" almonds -- burning them with carcinogenic, banned
rocket fuel... come on!! You can't be serious~how can you even consider treating
your fellow human beings in such a manner? Wake Up! start making choices
that are in our Highest and Best Interests as Humans~ not something that you
may think will benefit only a few.
Let get real here~lets keep things as natural as possible. people were living for a really long time before your agencies got there hands into things. Back off from
Mother Nature's products! You don't belong there!
***Irradiation or pasteurization of greens is a a bad idea. Do not go forward with this. It is unnecessary, over-regulation, costly, destructive to nutrients a
beneficial bacteria and bad science. The United States must not sanitize raw
food. Simply washing is sufficient. As an raw food eater, I have superb health
and would never eat or recommend pasteurized foods. The idea is ignorant of the
health ramifications. Pasteurization would lead to health decline. Look at the
scientific facts and do not over react on the basis of some scant isolated cases
of e. coli contamination.
David Klein, Ph.D.
***I want the agri-business corporations to take responsibility and use more hygienic handling practices and more prudent shipping methods, even if it costs them a little more, rather than passing the burden on to the consumer in the form of toxic, devitalized food devoid of most of its nutritional value. Stop the mandate of 'pasteurization' of all greens. No more irradiation on our food. thank you, nancy
***Completely against this regulation for leafy greens. Irradiation is not safe. This is just a short-cut
for properly washing the greens before they come to market. And of course only the large industrial food growers will be able to implement this at the expense of the smaller farmer.
***I'm writing about the poisoning/irradiation of our produce. It seems as though the government is methodically going down the list of produce grown in this country and causing it to be toxic due to restrictive regulations, disallowing organic, healthy plants to be grown. Why? Is this plan really thought out or is it being done without testing to see what type of long-term damage is being done? I'm getting sick and tired of it. I don't want to eat irradiated food. If it's for public safety, then stop trying to protect us from healthy food and protect us from government decisions like this one. I'm totally against this latest travesty and will be against the next attempt to poison our food supply in this or any other way. What are you hiding?
Allison Pugh
***Re: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090
Federal Register pages 56678-56680, vol. 72, no. 192, October 4, 2007
***
Dear USDA Agriculture Marketing Service,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Advance Notice of Proposed
Rule making for a Marketing Agreement for Leafy Greens. I am concerned with the
proposed rule making for several reasons.
First, millions of Americans, like me, depend on truly raw, fresh, organic
produce for our health. We, as a people, have had suffered so many other
assaults on our health from the pollution allowed in our air, water, land and
food sources that we desperately need to eat as purely and as fresh as we can
just to be functioning, contributing, tax-paying members of this society.
Please, I beg you, do your duty as a government agency to protect the rights of
ALL Americans by allowing for the basic necessities of survival for ALL. IF,
you find the need to rule for irradiation of "fresh" leafy greens, find a way to
be as inclusive of ALL our needs and still protect the health of the majority.
Second, I believe that neither a Marketing Agreement nor a Marketing Order are
appropriate models when seeking to protect food safety on a national scale. Both
models would allow a small board of processors and handlers to set the rules for
all farms in the nation who wish to sell their vegetables to processors. It puts
disproportionate power in the hands of large operations and corporations, who
would most likely be represented on these boards. This board would be given the
government-sanctioned authority to dictate the growing practices for all other
farms?large or small?in the nation, which I believe to be an inappropriate model
and level of authority.
Thirdly, I am concerned that appropriate guidelines, suitable for small as well
as large farms, have not yet been developed. I encourage the USDA to delay the
implementation of federal standards until scientifically proven methods for
reducing E.coli 0157 contamination have been demonstrated. The California
Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA) guidelines have already been implicated
in two recalls, showing that more research is needed before a set of uniform
standards can be required throughout the nation.
Fourthly, I believe that federal regulations would discriminate against many
farmers who employ organic farming practices and farmers who promote
biodiversity on farms, as has been the experience with the California
guidelines. The adoption of such rules on a national level would harm the
environment, and more environmentally friendly guidelines must be developed if
they are to be mandated nationally.
I would also like to note that the risk of E.coli 0157 contamination comes
predominantly from ?fresh cut? lettuce and spinach?the pre-washed, pre-cut bags
of greens that have recently become so popular. Therefore, even if the USDA were
to require standardized growing practices, it should apply only to large-scale
suppliers of ?fresh-cut? bags of leafy greens, and exclude whole leafy greens
that have never been implicated in an E.coli 0157 outbreak, such as kale,
arugula, and chard. A one-size-fits-all approach is totally inappropriate in
addressing this important health and environmental rule making proposal.
If federal guidelines were to be enacted, there should be an exemption based on
scale?small-scale farmers should not have to follow the same rules as
large-scale operations that have been responsible for past widespread
contamination. Moreover, exemptions should exist for traditional farmers selling
locally and for farmers with organic certification. Although no fresh food
production is risk free, the smaller operations, with hands-on management, pose
an infinitely smaller risk to the nation?s citizenry.
Finally, I oppose the proposed Marketing Agreement because it would likely be
costly and overly burdensome to small- and medium-scale growers and could
potentially drive these farmers out of business. As a consumer of leafy greens
and a supporter of environmentally sustainable, local food systems, I urge the
USDA to not support one-size-fits-all requirements that would dictate to farmers
how to grow their vegetables, especially when such guidelines are not evidence
based and are written by and for large-scale operations?farms, that based on
past experience, might very well need additional regulatory oversight.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Kris Brubaker,
***This is unbelievably URGENT! DO NOT ALLOW MANDATORY IRRADIATION!!!
This process kills food enzymes as surely as high heat cooking, and it has not
been tested as to the long term effect/affect on human dna; limited testing shows
that animals do not choose it when organic foods are available. I think that you
should be more responsible and dig deeper into what really happens to the food
and those who consume it. Look at the long term effects of your decisions. It
seems to me that you handle things with a "quick fix, kill it and burn it" Have you
not noticed that the health in this country is getting worse instead of better? Have you not realized that the more you do to compromise the natural food that our
bodies are intended to have, the worse off everyone is? This is another quick way
of big business.....get it done fast and who cares what the outcome! What are
you thinking? The question should be...Why aren't you thinking?
*** Dear Sirs;
I am absolutely opposed to mandatory pasteurization,& or irradiation of leafy greens. Please don't destroy the nutritional integrity of food by these methods. Rather, enforce proper farming , shipping, & storing methods, so that reducing the nutritional value of food wont be necessary.
Yours truly, Clarence Soukup
***I am not in favor of irradiation of my food source. I urge you to look at the long term health affects this causes to your family as well as mine. I want the choice to choose whether or not my food is irradiated. I don't want the government to choose for me. Don't make the organic food sources do this ridiculous process. Make the food handlers come up with more sanitary and effective transportation processes instead.
***Re: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090 Federal Register pages 56678-56680, vol. 72, no.192, October 4, 2007
USDA Agriculture Marketing Service:
Thank you for this opportunity to comment.
I am concerned with the proposed rule making because I do not believe irradiation
of green leafy vegetables will make them any cleaner.
What is necessary to make them cleaner is actually to make absolutely sure
that the field laborers have adequate sanitary facilities (bathrooms) in the fields
where they work.
I observed workers with NO facilities in California. Out of thousands of acreage I
drove past when workers were in the fields, only ONE had a "porta-pot" facility of
any kind.
This is how e. coli gets passed around.
I noticed that 2 food stores here are refusing produce from California as it is now
considered sub-standard. More power to them.
AND: irradiated produce will be definitely sub-standard from no on.
Vitamins will be affected, and no research has been done on this.
Kern Stafford, RPh
*** Re: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090
Federal Register pages 56678-56680, vol. 72, no. 192, October 4, 2007
Dear USDA Agriculture Marketing Service,
This is not a feasible or fair plan for small and med.-size farmers with
biodiversity (a number of different crops). Take action at the level this
problem was at---large-scale operations that ship long distance--have them clean
up their act and perhaps decrease the distance leafy greens can be sent. They
have a short shelf life. That is just the way it is. The E. Coli breakout is
a message to eat more locally grown foods. It is a message to support our
smale-scale, local, organic farmers. This proposal would not do that, so if you
are going to pass it, exempt the small-scale farmers and organic farmers.
I'm a leafy green eater and supporter of sustainable, organic farming
practices--these are practices that support our life in every way. I choose to
keep my vegetables as nature intended them. Raw and Organic. Please don't try
to defy nature with this "kill" approach (irradiation--what is being done to our
almonds already, for example). This is exactly what it does. It kills
everything, including the life supporting enzymes and nutrients the food was
meant to give us. If you kill the enzymes and nutrients, there is no point in
eating that "food" any more. It has nothing to give us. Respect and work with
the way nature is instead. Raw food isn't meant to last forever. Let's stop
trying to make it last forever. This is why eating more locally grown food and
smaller-scale farming makes sense. This is why the E. Coli problem was with
large-scale companies that ship long distances. That is why action needs to be
taken at the large-scale farming operations level only at this time.
***I am strongly against the irradiation or pasteurization of leafy greens. This
will devitalize the greens, making them less health enhancing. It is far better
to get the food handlers and processors to use clean hygienic methods to grow,
harvest, package, and transport the leafy greens to market. Please make the
growing, harvesting, and packaging processes clean and safe. I think most
companies do a really good job already. Do not allow the few sloppy processors
to drag down the entire industry. They need to up their standards, so go after
them.
Please keep our food vital and alive.
***I am against any regulations that mandate pasteurization and/or irradiation of fresh
food. I believe that my personal health is benefited by eating raw, fresh vegetable products and that pasteurization kills that food.
I urge the USDA to NOT adopt this regulation.
***Don't irradiate greens, they are fine just the way nature made them. Why would you do such a thing
as possibly poisoning the food supply? You don't know what long term effect irradiation will have!
Hello:
I am a consumer of fresh and frozen ORGANIC vegetable greens including
Spinach, Collard greens, Mustard greens, etc.
In the next 2 years, I hope to start growing my own greens too.
I certainly want safe food, but I think it can be done without IRRADIATION or
anything else that might be more harmful that what irradiation is trying to prevent. I suggest growing greens ORGANICALLY ? which means with out pesticides and
artificial fertilizers.
Thank-you for considering my comments.
Donald Leisman
***Please do NOT implement required pasteurization/irradiation of greens. This is an absolutely idiotic response to potential contamination issues in the food supply.
If a contamination problem occurs, it should be addressed, not masked. As a
consumer, I have no desire to consume irradiated food (or pasteurized food, for that matter). If food is not produced in such a manner that it is safe to consume
directly or with a simple, non-toxic wash, I don't want to be eating it. It's bad
enough that I'm surrounded by dairy farms and can't buy raw milk even though I
was raised on it (my family had a dairy farm) - don't destroy the health value of
salad greens, too.
If this regulation is implemented, my family will no longer be purchasing store
bought greens. I would rather do without or grow my own than purchase a sub-
standard product of questionable nutritional value. This is the wrong answer.
***
I am firmly against the pasteurization and irradiation of foods of any kind. This
destroys both the health value of the food and the health of the individual who
consumes the irradiated/pasteurized food.
***The irradiation of organic greens is potentially more harmful to humans than bacteria, the organic farmer is a vital part of the American food industry and needs to maintain it's purity. Let the public handle this important issue, if there is an outbreak in the organic markets the public will put them out of business. In all the years that the excellent practice of organic farming has been existing the cases are very rare of causing death. I think this is over the top to demand the farmers to irradiate the greens and soil of organically grown plants. Thank you and remember you all have the same food to eat as all Americans, do not make a terrible mistake. Nature has ways much more efficient and healthful that it is given credit. Please do not function fearfully and destroy an industry that many Americans support. People who buy organic green do not want irradiated organic greens,
*** My family, coworkers and friends are against pasteurization or irradiation of all greens or almonds! This is not acceptable! This will result in devitalized food and devoid most of its nutritional value. There will be little nutritional value for those of us that are vegetarians. You can not mandate this.
***PLEASE NO!!! Do not destroy our green leafy vegetables by irradiation!
First, I believe that neither a Marketing Agreement nor a Marketing Order are
appropriate models when seeking to protect food safety on a national scale. Both
models would allow a small board of processors and handlers to set the rules for
all farms in the nation who wish to sell their vegetables to processors. It puts
disproportionate power in the hands of large operations and corporations, who
would most likely be represented on these boards. This board would be given the
government-sanctioned authority to dictate the growing practices for all other
farms?large or small?in the nation, which I believe to be an inappropriate model
and level of authority.
I am also concerned that appropriate guidelines, suitable for small as well as large farms, have not yet been developed. I encourage the USDA to delay the
implementation of federal standards until scientifically proven methods for reducing E. coli 0157 contamination have been demonstrated.
The California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA) guidelines have already
been implicated in two recalls, showing that more research is needed before a set
of uniform standards can be required throughout the nation.
Furthermore, federal regulations would discriminate against many farmers who
employ organic farming practices and farmers who promote biodiversity on farms,
as has been the experience with the California guidelines. The adoption of such
rules on a national level would harm the environment, and more environmentally
friendly guidelines must be developed if they are to be mandated nationally. I
would also like to note that the risk of E. coli 0157 contamination comes
predominantly from ?fresh cut? lettuce and spinach?the pre-washed, pre-cut bags
of greens that have recently become so popular. Therefore, even if the USDA were
to require standardized growing practices, it should apply only to large-scale
suppliers of ?fresh-cut? bags of leafy greens, and exclude whole leafy greens that
have never been implicated in an E. coli 0157 outbreak, such as kale, arugula,
and chard.
A one-size-fits-all approach is totally inappropriate in addressing this important
health and environmental rule making proposal. If federal guidelines were to be
enacted, there should be an exemption based on scale?small-scale farmers
should not have to follow the same rules as large-scale operations that have been
responsible for past widespread contamination.
Moreover, exemptions should exist for traditional farmers selling locally and for
farmers with organic certification. Although no fresh food production is risk free,
the smaller operations, with hands-on management, pose an infinitely smaller risk
to the nation?s citizenry.
Finally, I oppose the proposed Marketing Agreement because it would likely be
costly and overly burdensome to small- and medium-scale growers and could
potentially drive these farmers out of business.
As a consumer of leafy greens and a supporter of environmentally sustainable,
local food systems, I urge the USDA to not support one-size-fits-all requirements
that would dictate to farmers how to grow their vegetables, especially when such
guidelines are not evidence based and are written by and for large-scale
operations?farms, that based on past experience, might very well need additional
regulatory oversight. Thank you for your consideration.
*** Re: Docket ID AMS-FV-07-0090
Federal Register pages 56678-56680, vol. 72, no. 192, October 4, 2007
Dear USDA Agriculture Marketing Service,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Advance Notice of Proposed
Rule making for a Marketing Agreement for Leafy Greens. I am concerned with the
proposed rule making for several reasons.
Most especially because it would make it difficult for people like myself who
maintain their health by eating fresh raw veggies. Pasteurization and
irradiation both damage the nutritional value of the food and therefore would
negatively impact the health of the general population - as well as having a
negative impact on small farmers who supply local stores who would have a
heavier cost burden. As research grows to show the greater nutritional value of
organic produce this would make it difficult for people to obtain fresh produce
in its natural state.
First, I believe that neither a Marketing Agreement nor a Marketing Order are
appropriate models when seeking to protect food safety on a national scale. Both
models would allow a small board of processors and handlers to set the rules for
all farms in the nation who wish to sell their vegetables to processors. It puts
disproportionate power in the hands of large operations and corporations, who
would most likely be represented on these boards. This board would be given the
government-sanctioned authority to dictate the growing practices for all other
farms?large or small?in the nation, which I believe to be an inappropriate model
and level of authority.
I am also concerned that appropriate guidelines, suitable for small as well as
large farms, have not yet been developed. I encourage the USDA to delay the
implementation of federal standards until scientifically proven methods for
reducing E. coli 0157 contamination have been demonstrated. The California
Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (LGMA) guidelines have already been implicated
in two recalls, showing that more research is needed before a set of uniform
standards can be required throughout the nation.
Furthermore, federal regulations would discriminate against many farmers who
employ organic farming practices and farmers who promote biodiversity on farms,
as has been the experience with the California guidelines. The adoption of such
rules on a national level would harm the environment, and more environmentally
friendly guidelines must be developed if they are to be mandated nationally.
I would also like to note that the risk of E. coli 0157 contamination comes
predominantly from ?fresh cut? lettuce and spinach?the pre-washed, pre-cut bags
of greens that have recently become so popular. Therefore, even if the USDA were
to require standardized growing practices, it should apply only to large-scale
suppliers of ?fresh-cut? bags of leafy greens, and exclude whole leafy greens
that have never been implicated in an E. coli 0157 outbreak, such as kale,
arugula, and chard. A one-size-fits-all approach is totally inappropriate in
addressing this important health and environmental rule making proposal. How
about enacting more stringent hand washing guidelines of workers who work in
plants processing the bags of greens.
If federal guidelines were to be enacted, there should be an exemption based on
scale?small-scale farmers should not have to follow the same rules as
large-scale operations that have been responsible for past widespread
contamination. Moreover, exemptions should exist for traditional farmers selling
locally and for farmers with organic certification. Although no fresh food
production is risk free, the smaller operations, with hands-on management, pose
an infinitely smaller risk to the nation?s citizenry.
Finally, I oppose the proposed Marketing Agreement because it would likely be
costly and overly burdensome to small- and medium-scale growers and could
potentially drive these farmers out of business. As a consumer of leafy greens
and a supporter of environmentally sustainable, local food systems, I urge the
USDA to not support one-size-fits-all requirements that would dictate to farmers
how to grow their vegetables, especially when such guidelines are not evidence
based and are written by and for large-scale operations?farms, that based on
past experience, might very well need additional regulatory oversight.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Angelica Williams
Concerned Citizen
 Don't Use Us as Guinea Pigs! |
. ***Please - no blanket irradiation of greens. I do not want to eat irradiated
foods!!! Agri-business needs to 'clean up its act,' not seek legislation that
will treat food grown using unsafe/unsanitary practice to further processing
that will further damage the food. Irradiated foods are not raw foods with full
nutrient content. Leafy greens are an important food containing important
nutrients that will be damaged/destroyed by irradiation.
***To whom it may concern:
I wish to know my organic produce, including leafy greens, is truly raw and
untouched by pasteurization (heat, chemicals, or fumigants) of any kind. I want
to always have fresh truly-raw organic produce available. With the recent
passing of the mandatory pasteurization of almonds, which are not required to be
labeled as such, I am especially concerned with your decision to consider
requiring mandatory guidelines for the growing, harvesting, shipping,
processing, packing, and handling of leafy greens. I do, however, appreciate the
opportunity to offer public comment on this issue, which seemed to be absent for
the decision regarding the almond pasteurization.
Contamination, such as salmonella, occurs from contact with animal feces. The
use of fresh, untreated manure greatly increases the risk of pathogens on foods.
When manure is properly composted, as is common in organic farming, the risk of
contamination is greatly reduced. When crops are grown on or near large-scale
industrial farming, there may be additional risk of feces in run-off, which can
contaminate crops. Dried, air-born dust from the same farms may also contribute
to the problem. It's not the produce that is a problem, it is animal
agriculture, especially large-scale, conventional, operations.
The implementation of standardized rules may needlessly put small organic
farmers at economic risk. The recent almond issue also demonstrates how
standardized practices can create hardship for small farmers.
Whatever decisions are made regarding the public's fresh produce, I encourage
you to require the labeling of any processes that the produce has been subjected
to, such as sprays, pasteurization (including by chemicals), irradiation, or
genetic modification, etc. At least keep the public informed, so they may make
informed choices. The recent almond pasteurization issue has taught the public
that foods are not always labeled truthfully. Please make sure that mistake is
not duplicated here.
Thank you
*** Dear USDA Agriculture Marketing Service,
Thank you for the opportunity to voice opinions and submit comments on the
proposed Green Leafy vegetables regulations.
It is unclear to me exactly what is being called for in this proposal, but I am
alarmed by how I fear it will end: an appointed group placing pasteurization of
green leafy vegetable regulations as a blanket measure on all farms just as with
the pasteurization of milk.
While I understand the concern over occasional outbreaks of food borne disease, I
would find it unacceptable that the appointed handlers who decide on these
regulations, could further limit my food supply, and that such regulations could
possibly result in the loss of the farms where I obtain my food. These regulations
would unfairly favor large corporate agribusiness and could harm small local
organic farms.
I believe in eating fresh local raw organic foods and I obtain them from small
independent traditional organic farms that practice sustainable organic farming and
biodiversity. The green leafys I obtain from these farms are alive and nutrient dense emerging from rich healthful soil that is maintained in a respectful and mindful manor. I believe in knowing my farmers and being able to visit the farms and see for myself that all is being run in harmony with the natural world and with future generations in mind. This belief is a core fundamental belief akin to religion and regulating, inhibiting, or limiting my ability to obtain my food of choice is as egregious as interfering with my right to practice my religion.
Such regulations if made without regard to the size of the farm, could prove so
costly as to force small independent farmers out of business. Large scale
agribusiness has generated the need for these concerns by practices that are not
in alignment with the natural order such as: grain and antibiotic fed feedlot cows
and the resultant mutant E. coli O157: H7, centralized washing stations for green
leafy vegetables, slaughterhouse lines being run so rapidly that proper care cannot
be taken to keep animal feces off the tables and processors, giving dairy cows
BGH to over stimulate milk production resulting in horrible utter infections, pus in the milk, and the need for antibiotic treatments that also end up in the milk. These are the hallmarks of large scale profit driven agribusiness. Small family farms are not the generators of these horrors and should not be treated as such by blanket regulations that could threaten their livelihood and ability to offer what they believe is life sustaining to the families they feed.
If these guidelines are implemented, they must include an exemption for small
scale farms to protect them from the financial hardships of such regulations, and
to maintain a supply of truly raw fresh organic food that is unadulterated by
man made chemicals, irradiation, and genetic adulterants for the citizenry that
choose it.
Thank you for your consideration of my opinion and comments.
Gretchen Kurtenacker, Seattle
***This is to strongly oppose the bleaching and/or irradiation of US-grown green or leafy vegetables. Both of these processes harm the vegetables themselves.
Irradiation alters vitamin content (and may have other harmful effects yet
unknown). There are studies confirming that microwaved food loses 70% of its
vitamin content--why would anyone bother eating vegetables that are devoid of
any nutritional value? Chlorine, the active agent in bleach, leaches into the
vegetables even if sprayed on and washed off. Chlorine content in water had been
linked to the rise of cancer in this country. Many countries including much of
Europe do not use chlorine to disinfect water sources for this reason--they use
UV and other treatments. To treat vegetables with a cancer causing agent is
patently counter-productive. I buy organic exclusively--an organic vegetable
should not be sprayed with ANYTHING or irradiated. Instead of destroying all
US-grown green and leafy vegetables, the best way to avoid outbreaks of e.coli
and other diseases are to get irresponsible, careless farmers to clean up their
act and follow safe planting and sanitary practices. In each case there has
been an outbreak the source was traced to poor conditions on the farms
themselves. This was published in all major newspapers. We have been shown
that having people just wash hands often prevents colds. Science shows that
people who choose, instead, to use antibacterial gels instead of washing hands
help create superbugs that are anti-biotic resistant and contaminate the water
supply with Trichlosan and other carcinogens. This situation is similar. If
farming practices are cleaned up--literally--and workers wash hands (with plain
soap and water)--there would be no need to propose such a ridiculous and
destructive "crisis management / after-the-fact" regulation.
*** Please don't force us to eat vegetables that have been denatured through
pasteurization! Give us a choice! Don't touch the organic foods. Try
pasteurization/irradiation on the non-organic foods and let us decide which foods we
will eat. If people are willing to pay more for organic, natural foods, that should be
an indication about what we prefer to do with our health. Pasteurization and
irradiation are NOT the answer!
***The only requirement at the federal level, in my opinion, would be that if
a supplier voluntarily performs irradiation on any kind of produce to reduce the
possible occurrence of e. coli or other pathogens, then they should be mandated
to label the product as such so we who do not wish to die a slow cancerous death
can avoid buying it.
The irradiation of anything in our food supply seems like an absolutely
ridiculous proposal to ever be performed by default.
This certainly should not ever be a consideration of the federal government!
And as far as the private sector goes, this is our food supply we're talking
about; predictable profitability should never be allowed a consideration at the
point of possible food contamination! Steps taken to avoid contamination should
have been enforced long before this scenario ever needed to be considered.
Why have there been so many concerns recently? I will research this myself but
it begs to be examined so we do not have to resort to irradiated, dead food as a
stop-gap.
Thanks for listening.
***I believe this proposal will be unfair to those few small farmers that are able
to this point compete with large corporations because of their attention to
detail and providing a non toxic environment to produce their product. The
problem with the E-coli has been with extremely large facilities that produce and
package for the country and world, not the local and regional producer. An
excessive economic burden would be placed on the smaller producer.
Docket # AMS-FV-07-0090 seems to open the door to irradiation of our food supply
under the guise of "public safety" and "public health". I would suggest that
permitting the use of technology that in itself could create a serious health
problem if an "accident" occurred is short sighted. Thank you.
*** I shop locally at my farmer's market, as well as from stores that buy their
produce locally and not through big farms. As a longtime consumer of locally
grown organic leafy greens, I strongly feel that regulation should be handled on
a local basis.
The program's handling regulations should specifically address companies that
are distributing greens nationally since any contamination of their greens has
the potential to affect a much larger population.
Large growing and processing operations that are located within watershed areas
that include stockyards, meat processing plants and other sources of chemical
and bacterial toxins is a practice that should raise a red flag at the USDA, and
those companies should merit close scrutiny. Regulation should take place at
the beginning of the production cycle, starting with where the farms and packing
plants are located, rather than the final packing stage. It just makes better
sense.
Ultimately, food supply issues such as the recent e.coli contamination cannot be
controlled by additional rules and regulation. There must be a common-sense
approach to production practices that is realistically enforceable, and the most
important way for the USDA to protect the consumer is by requiring truth in
labeling. If the consumer knows the conditions under which food is produced, if
the label "ORGANICALLY GROWN" could be trusted to ensure a safe growing
practices, it would enable consumers to make good decisions to protect
themselves. Without truthful labels and adequate information, consumers will
continue to be at risk.
I protect my family by buying locally grown produce directly from the farmers at
the farmer's market or stores that carry locally grown produce - as much as I
can. These farmers need the support of the USDA, not regulations that would
require irradiation of chemical treatment, practices which are in conflict with
healthy and sustainable farming practices.
Please consider this thoughtfully.
Thank you and my children will thank you.
Lisa Goldenberg Corn
***I am absolutely against the pasteurization or irradiation of, not only leafy green vegetables, but any produce. We need to make organic vegetables the order of the day. There is absolutely no good or worthy reason to pass the ruling. This process is further destroying our ability to eat fresh and safe produce that contains the natural enzymes that will be destroyed through this pasteurization process and we the people should have the choice to eat the way we chose to eat; not the way you think is best for us. You are wrong to do this and I insist that you stop this action immediately. You are already killing us with the way our food is dealt with.
***Consumer Comments on Food Irradiation
bravenet.com
