| SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Tell Organic Baby Food Brands to Stop Using GMOs!  As 2011 comes to an end, we are revving up our important campaign to Safeguard Organic Standards: getting genetically engineered ingredients out of certified organic baby food, so...
Tell organic baby food brands to stop using GMOs! Since 2006, Martek Biosciences, owned by multinational biotech giant DSM, has been selling its DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), synthesized versions of the essential fatty acids that are naturally found in breast milk, to companies manufacturing organic infant formula, baby food, other food products. Now the National Organic Program says the 2006 approval was illegal and they're conducting a formal review of the Martek products for the first time. The Cornucopia Institute has been warning since 2008 that the DHA and ARA might be made using genetic engineering, an "excluded method" under national organic regulations. The OCA has confirmed the Cornucopia Institute's concerns with our own research and we've learned: The DHA and ARA used in organic infant formulas and baby cereals is manipulated using microencapsulation to transform it from an oil to a powder. Microencapsulation is specifically listed as an "excluded method" in the organic regulations, one of a "variety of methods used to genetically modify organisms or influence their growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes and are not considered compatible with organic production."  In addition, DHA and ARA are produced from mutant strains of algae and fungi with unnaturally high DHA and ARA levels. "Mutagenesis" is not specifically mentioned in the organic regulations' definition of "excluded methods," but it certainly fits the category definition listed above.
Mutagenesis involves exposing cells to radiation or mutagenic chemicals to create a variety of mutant cells from which desired characteristics can be selected. DSM, Martek's new owner and the long-time producer of its ARA, boasts the invention of modern extensions of this process, including "site-directed mutagenesis technology." DSM screens the vast numbers of microbial strains produced by random mutagenesis and selects for improved properties using a robotic High-Throughput Screening (HTS) facility which automates analytical tasks, including complex enzymatic analyses and high-tech flow-injection Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Then, they use recombinant-DNA technology to combine multiple mutations in a single organism. Products of microencapsulation and mutagenesis don't belong in organic! Get these GMOs out of organic baby food! Tell organic baby food brands to stop using GMOs! Support the OCA and the OCF  Thank you to everyone who has supported our work in 2011! Everyone who has donated, volunteered, and everyone who has signed our Action Alerts!
You've made it possible to continue the transition to an organic future by safeguarding organic standards and fighting back against the biotech bullies and their indentured politicians, supporting progressive legislation, educating the public, and organizing nationwide protests. In 2012, we plan to fight even harder. With the 2012 California ballot initiative, we have a real chance to hit Monsanto with the skull and crossbones they fear so much - mandatory labels on genetically engineered food. Please be as generous as you can this holiday season. Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible) Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our efforts in California) Please make an end-of-the-year donation to support our 2012 campaign to get GMOs out of organic baby food! Featured Essay of the Month In case you didn't get a chance to read this yet, here's Will Allen and Ronnie Cummins important new essay. "Voting with Our Farms and Forks Against Climate Catastrophe" Little Bytes: Top Stories of the Week  Food for Thought at the End of the Year: The Good Food News of 2011
The Nasty Truth About the Online Retailers You Probably Used for Your Holiday Shopping Goodbye 'Shop Til You Drop' Mentality: Renegade Band of Economists Call for 'Degrowth' Economy Stop Elections from Being Stolen: Election Integrity's Victoria Collier Speaks Up Vermont and Massachusetts Organic Farmers 'Feed the Occupy Movement' Sponsored Message Join the OCA-Endorsed National Buying Club for Organic and Non-GMO Foods: The Green Polka Dot Box OCA is happy to announce the formation of a new national distribution service for home delivery of organic and non-GMO foods, at 30-50% below the cost of retail, with free shipping on orders of $150 or more. The new national distribution club is called the Green Polka Dot Box (GPDB). Click here Connect With OCA! | 
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