By Barbara H. Peterson
Just when we thought that buying “Organic” was safe, we run headlong into the deliberate poisoning of our organic food supply by the FDA in collusion with none other than the folks who brought us Aspartame. NutraSweet, a former Monsanto asset, has developed a new and improved version of this neurotoxin called Neotame.
Neotame has similar structure to aspartame — except that, from it’s structure, appears to be even more toxic than aspartame. This potential increase in toxicity will make up for the fact that less will be used in diet drinks. Like aspartame, some of the concerns include gradual neurotoxic and immunotoxic damage from the combination of the formaldehyde metabolite (which is toxic at extremely low doses) and the excitotoxic amino acid. (Holisticmed.com)
But surely, this product would be labeled! NOT SO!!! For this little gem, no labeling required. And it is even included in USDA Certified Organic food.
The food labeling requirements required for aspartame have now been dropped for Neotame, and no one is clear why this was allowed to happen. Neotame has been ruled acceptable, and without being included on the list of ingredients, for:
- USDA Certified [made with/contains] Organic food items.
- Certified Kosher products with the official letter k inside the circle on labels. (Janet Hull)
Let me make this perfectly clear. Neotame does not have to be included in ANY list of ingredients! So, if you buy processed food, whether USDA Certified [made with/contains] Organic or not, that food might contain Neotame because it is cost-effective, and since no one knows it is there, there is no public backlash similar to what is happening with Aspartame. A win/win situation!
But that’s not all. Just love chowing down on that delicious steak? Well, that cow most likely will have been fed with feed containing…..you guessed it…..Neotame! A product called “Sweetos,” which is actually composed of Neotame, is being substituted for molasses in animal feed.
“Sweetos is an economical substitute for molasses. Sweetos guarantees the masking of unpleasant tastes and odor and improves the palatability of feed. This product will be economical for farmers and manufacturers of cattle feed. It can also be used in mineral mixture,” said Craig Petray, CEO, The NutraSweet Company, a division of Searle, which is a part of Monsanto. (Bungalow Bill)
Why would we feed animals food that is so distasteful that we would have to mask the unpleasantness with an artificial sweetener? Most animals will not eat spoiled, rancid feed. They know by the smell that it is not good. Enter Sweetos (Neotame). Just cover up the unpleasant tastes and odors, and you can feed them anything you want to, courtesy of the oh, so considerate folks at Monsanto and company.
But of course, Monsanto is no longer associated with NutraSweet. In the time-honored tradition of covering its assets, Monsanto has a proven track record of spinning off controversial portions of its company that generate too much scrutiny, such as it did with the Solutia solution.
Says the Farm Industry News, “Monsanto, which has long resided in the crosshairs of public scorn and scrutiny, appears to have dodged at least one bullet by spinning off its industrial chemical business into a separate entity called Solutia a couple of years ago. Solutia has since been hammered by lawsuits regarding PCB contamination from what were once called Monsanto chemical plants in Alabama and other states” (Source Watch)
So what is the solution to this problem? Buy local organic food, know your local farmer, and don’t buy processed foods whether they are labeled “Organic” or not. This requires a drastic change in lifestyle that most will not want to make. For those who choose to ride the wheel of chance by succumbing to this genocidal adulteration of our food supply by those who stand to profit from our sickness and early demise, my only comment is….it is your choice. But for those of us who have decided to fight this battle one bite at a time by hitting these sociopaths in the pocketbook where it hurts……viva la revolucion!
(C) 2010 Barbara H. Peterson
UPDATE: For an in-depth look at this with source material from government sites, please go here: The USDA’s Organic Deception
Tags: Aspartame, Barbara H. Peterson, farmwars, FDA, monsanto, Neotame, neurotoxin, NutraSweet, Organic certification, organic food, Solutia, United States Department of Agriculture, USDA
Hi Barbara…I have a correction for you. If you look carefully at the national list that you’re talking about when you’re talking about hops, you’ll notice that non-organic hops can be used only when a) organic hops are unavailable, and b) in fortified cooking sherry. I would suggest writing a retraction or making a revision to your article so that misinformation is not further spread.
Before the Federal Government adopted the “Organic” guidelines I remember reading that Calfornia and possibly Oregon had the highest organics standards. If a product states that it is California Organic Certified it would not contain Neotame or any other poison. If one of you readers could check this out to confirm my memory it would be greatly appreciated.
I read about this somewhere else recently. Unfortunately, Monsanto has people everywhere…even in a position to poison us from within. It is sad, but our government obviously goes along with this madness. You can bet they don’t eat the same stuff the want US to eat. Since Michael R. Taylor, appointed by Obama is is the Deputy Commissioner of Foods, AND is a former VP with Monsanto, there appears to be more than a little behind the scenes wheeling and dealing. Maybe if we also all write and call our newly elected officials they will put a stop to this blatant poisoning of our population.
I don’t live in a location with a lot of choices. I buy local if we have any.
Dumbing down and poisoning our brains eh?
Thanks Barbara for your excellent article. I must say that one cannot fully rely 100% on USDA-certified foods. They have recently pushed to approve gmo sugarbeets and walnuts. God knows what else they will want to approve as “organic”.
The best advise I heard so far was “Get to know your farmer!”
Anytime someone tries to make you jump through hoops the sound of money is behind it. So these pathetic creatures will now attempt to price tier food according to the level of organic. 70, 95, 100%… u should eat what makes you happy and forget this non-sense. if you really don’t like the food source then grow it yourself, but i bet you will resort to standard fertilizer….
Please read my follow-up article titled “The USDA’s Organic Deception” at http://farmwars.info/?p=4913 for linked source materials from government sites.
Here is a snip from an article supposedly debunking my findings at the Organic Consumers Association:
“None of the bloggers who perpetuate this anti-organic myth reference primary sources to substantiate their claims. As their sources, they reference one another instead of going to the source – such as the Code of Federal Regulations.” http://www.organicconsumers.or....._22312.cfm
Anti organic? Calling for the elimination of artificial substances from pure organic food is somehow anti-organic? That’s rich. This statement by Cornucopia is a complete falsehood. All you have to do is read my articles, and click on all of the USDA and FDA source material. It is all there.
The anti-organic rhetoric is a game played by the ones bought and paid for by the companies overtaking the organics industry and changing it to suit their own purposes. These are the people who are truly anti-organic while pretending to be otherwise. Just follow the money trail.
Here are a few of the foundations that this organization receives funding from:
John Merck Fund $200,000.00 1999 – 2002
Tides Foundation & Tides Center $45,500.00 2001 – 2002
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors $57,176.00 2000 – 2005
This information can be verified at: http://activistcash.com/organi.....ssociation
If the Organic Consumers Association is all that it is cracked up to be, why does it receive money from Merck, Tides, and Rockefeller???
1. The humans are overpopulated, and a DIVERSITY of phenomenon to limit their population will occur, biologically, increasing the value of knowledge. Learn more, play less.
2. Institutionally power-damaged minds (government, Montsano, etc.) will, verifiably, kill their own offspring before they will willingly surrender any power, by design of how power-functions in the human mind.
3. Learn what law is and how it functions in the human mind. Under the prevailing law, if “it” is not mentioned, by exact reference, “it” is lawful without any limit. That is opposite the inferior law jurisdictions designed to fool the common folks who ask no effective questions. “An inferior law contradicted by a superior law holds no weight or effect as law.” Until you learn the common law and how to ask effective questions, your only defense against anything is KNOWLEDGE.
Respectfully, DougBuchanan.com
Excellent article!!
I agree with Froggerprince about the “Neotame-free” labeling campaign. And anyways, I feel we constantly underestimate the power we have as consumers with the choices we make at the stores. Boycotting products is a pretty loud statement right there, isn’t it?
Can anyone suggest the companies which are typically 100% organic? (In Germany for instance Demeter products had a much higher standard.)
I found this link rather helpful months ago when I became a more conscientous consumer.
http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/
Brian,
Up to 70% is designated “contains organic ingredients.” 70%-95% is “made with organic ingredients.” Should I have used mathematical equations to denote greater than and less than?
Hello from Washington DC. A friend sent me the link to this page, and I am writing now to the webmaster. The way that your site generates the titles of these blog-like pages, they end up having titles that are not eye-catching. In fact this page is titled: http://farmwars.info/?p=4897 . This looks like a WordPress.com blog, and they can easily tell you how to configure your page creation so that the titles will include words of interest. For instance, you could create a folder (“blog” or “info”) and then make the title be eye-catching:
http://farmwars.info/info/USDA.....t_Neotame/
The article itself is so important that I will pass the URL to some networkers I know, but the title is a turn-off, so I will have to write an introduction.
Anyway, keep up the GREAT WORK!!!
Dr. Wilson in Washington DC
To Frank @January 6, 2011 at 3:05 pm which said,
“Down with these communists!”
Frank, you have things seriously twisted in your head. These corporations are not commies, they are “capitalists”. We know about Rumsfelds ‘need to bypass safety measures that are in place’ aspartame, so now they want you to consume it as another nice sounding name. Capitalism, not commieism yuh moronic poster.
Some previous poster asked ‘how we are to know if your meats have ben fed with this’. Well there is an easy method, stop eating that killed animal life.
It seems if this article is factual, as others have pointed out that it may not be, we can have a riot over this and end some of their industrious plants life with a trial by fire etc. When will we get together to put a stop to these monsters looking for that added 0.001% profit margin? If the “Courts” fail us, as history has demonstrated time after time, the vigilanty will rise to take care of this. So do your duty you Government stooges, or else as history has shown, your time is very limited here.
Ps, I am not personally threatening anyone or thing, just pointing out THEE historic facts. Remember “off with their heads” words flying about in history books?
Barbara, you are not correct. The 70% organic level refers to items labeled as “Made With Organic Ingredients”. Other synthetic ingredients used in these products still need to be allowed in 205.605 ‘Nonagricultural (nonorganic) substances allowed as ingredients in or on processed products labeled as “organic” or “made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s)).’ Neotame is not.
See http://campaign.r20.constantco.....960Eb_0%3D for more information.
Eating processed foods, organic or not, is not a healthy choice. This is where your biggest risk of this substance is. Worrying too much about “organic” meats is not necessary as animals have the ability to detox just like we do naturally and they do not live long enough before slaughter to have accumulated enough dangerous substances for it to affect your health. Buying local organic is a nice idea, but for the majority, it is not feasable and certainly not affordable. I know as I did tried this but could not continue. However, I have noticed enormous health benefits from just eliminating ALL processed foods and eating only meats, eggs and low carb vegetables. Too much emphasis is put on eating only organic. Organic does not mean what it should anymore. It is another industrialized food market. Even local organic uses grains to feed the animals at times so “grass fed” doesn’t necessarily mean anything either. I am not bashing local farming by any means as it is ideal, but it is not affordable to most in our society.
This sounds like an excellent idea, Jacques!
Third party organic certification is going to get usurped by PGS systems (Peer guarantee Systems) where certification is an internal process by the producers, distributors and consumers of organic foodstuffs and products.
Siyavuna Development Centre is busy developing a trial PGS sytem with 100’s of rural organic farmeras in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa as part of an Agri-SCIP (Sustainable
Community Investment Program) project.
We’re busy with the pilot now, and have already secured funding for replication. Giving the power to the people is the sustainable way of doing organic certification, and is the surest way to guarantee ethical behaviour.
Hey Barbara,
There was another attempt to pull off the “no labeling required” scam some years back. That was with the rBGH product that was being given to dairy cattle.
Monsanto (yes, them, as always) and a number of large corporate dairy operations tried to extend the meaning of the regulations to mean that no labeling was allowed. This meant that even if a dairy wanted to include the fact that rBGH had been used, they would be prohibited from doing that.
Next, they tried to make the claim that it was illegal to advertise the fact that rBGH had not been used.
Predictably, in response to fears of the public, many dairies, mostly smaller, community-oriented ones, started labeling their milk as having been produced 100% by rBGH-free cows. Monsanto and friends tried to create some new case law by suing these dairies, claiming that the regulations prohibited “misleading of consumers” by labelling the absence of something, which would create a “false” impression that the substances are unsafe.
What happened is that the publicity created by news reports on the lawsuits created a surge in product sales of the companies’ rBGH-free milk.
Unfortunately, what also happened is that a couple of the dairies, most prominently Oakhurst Dairies of Maine, realizing Monsanto had the financial power to crush them and put them out of business with court costs, settled and put a message on their boxes to the effect that the FDA had declared there to be no difference in milk from rBGH-treated cattle. This caused a flurry of negative publicity for Monsanto and eventually led to Monsanto selling off its rBGH business.
They also poured money into lobbying legislators and officials in various states to introduce legislative and/or regulatory bans on advertising the absence of rBGH. The only state where they actually got anything to happen was Pennsylvania, where the then-state agriculture secretary Dick Wolff tried to issue a regulatory ban on rBGH-free advertising or labeling. This caused such a huge public uproar that the governor basically put the regulations in the deep freeze by referring them for “study” by a committee that will take years to get anything done. The politicians know when their unelected minions have hit too raw a nerve with the public.
So, what does this mean for us people who want to protect ourselves from yet another toxin?
Contact your farmers, manufacturers and retailers, and thell them you want labeling that says “No Neotame was used in the production of this food product”. It’s worked before, and it’ll work again.
I wonder if the power of the internet could be harnessed to get a big momentum happening for a “Neotame-free” labeling campaign? Don’t have any ideas myself, but I’d appreciate seeing some from you or others. :)
These food preservatives are illegal in canada,, food preservatives are killing us slowly,,I am highly allergic to MSg and try my hardests to eat good food, Everyone blames the govt. Isn’t the govt. our friends and neighbors or relatives?? have they sold there souls to join the evil forces that poison our food??? We really need to take issue with these people,, and ‘stop all of the govt. interfering and manipulating our food crops’ they illegally steal water from the great lakes in New york and now i heard they want to make growing our own food illegal.. Down with these communists !!!!
James,
It is quite interesting that you accuse someone who posted a chart showing that the organics industry is being taken over by companies such as Monsanto, and who has been actively fighting against this takeover, of actually working for the company. Maybe this is a case of projection? Exactly who are you? I use my first and last name, and don’t hide behind only a first name or pseudonym. The Organics industry has problems, and unless they are exposed, they will only get worse.
This is totally incorrect. Why are you giving false information about organic? A shill for Monsanto perhaps? All additives used as ingredients or processing aids for foods labeled “organic” or “made with organic [specified ingredient or food group]” must appear on the National List (7 CFR205.605-205.606). Neotame is not on the list, and there are no reported complaints of organic companies using it. I really question your motives Barbara – and think you are either a dupe in this conspiracy to undermine trust in organic, or are too ignorant to understand how to fact check things at the source. Go to the list people – if it ain’t on it, it ain’t in organic. If someone knows of a product that contains prohibited items they should contact NOP – which has new leadership and is doing a good job of policing complaints..
The follow-up article is posted:
“The USDA’s Organic Deception”
http://farmwars.info/?p=4913
Thanks Barbara – I just learned something. I always assumed that the USDA would bastardize the term organic as soon as they got a hold of it and you have proven me right. And if it required fraud to get the job done the USDA has my faith they would do that also.
http://jtittiger.blogspot.com/.....l-how.html
Brian,
There are 3 classifications for Organic:
100%
95%
70%
The 70% category can contain substances such as Neotame, which are not on the approved list. The approved list only applies to the 95% category.
This article is incorrect. Neotame is a synthetic which is not on the National List of Allowed Synthetics in Organic Production at 205.605. Therefor it cannot be used in processed foods labeled as 100% organic, organic, or containing organic ingredients. Even if it does not need to be included on the label, a complete recipe with all ingredients for a product applying for organic certification must be submitted to Accredited Certification Body from which certification is sought. I believe the only way for Neotame to be included in an organic processed food is through fraud.
I have a novel idea folks. I imagine that most food will contain this junk. I also imagine that companies that sell to your local health food store even though prevented by law from labeling their food would welcome the opportunity to convey this information to consumers in another manner. Also I assume that lab testing for neotame is not cost prohibitive.
So a site like this picks up the ball and publishes a list of neotame free food products. The manufacturer submits an affidavit that states the food is neotame free along with an application fee that is used for the lab testing.
There is more than one way to skin a goose.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to get to work on something like this. Many hands make for light work.
Blessings
Joe
I’m sure the next thing the Feds will to USDA organics (an oxymoron) is Ebola.
I have to retain a shred of optimism and believe that not *all* organic grass-fed meat producers are going to be adding Sweetos to their feed! Guess I will be taking your advice and buying local grass-fed poultry and beef from our wonderful local farmers markets.
Thanks so much for this critical information on our food supply. I am most grateful for the information. Now I can kiss eating out in restaurants goodbye entirely…
reference to FDA docs please
Justin,
You can go to Dr. Hull’s site for now, as I am currently wading through the doublespeak at the FDA and USDA sites so that I can quote government sources in my follow-up article.
To “Big Bear” … get a grip. If your “strawman” still EATS FOOD, it will be eating neotame even if it eats organic. If your MAN or WOMAN eats food, same. What good do the labels do you? They’ve GOT YOU, whatever you are labeled… because you EAT. Focus on growing your own food and keeping the powers away from regulating THAT.
I’ve got a good CSA, but if S510 ends that, I have no idea where to get decent food. Ideas?–other than going more in debt for land somewhere?
This article states that “The food labeling requirements required for aspartame have now been dropped for Neotame, and no one is clear why this was allowed to happen”. Well, I think we all know how this is happening, The person responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history was appointed US food safety czar by Obama. That person is Michael Taylor. He had been Monsanto’s attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA. Soon after, he became Monsanto’s vice president and chief lobbyist.
Today, Michael R. Taylor is the Deputy Commissioner of Foods, having been appointed to this position in January 2010 by President Obama. He is the first to hold this position in the newly created Office of Foods.
This is yet another example of big government and big business working together at the expense of the health and safety of us and our children. If Michelle Obama really wants to improve food safety, maybe she should get GMO’s removed from our food chain!
Where is the follow-up article and proof that this ingredient is allowed in organic food production? All I want to see is the sitation from the National Organic Program regulation which specifically allows this ingredient.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Yes these chemical corporation factories don’t care … and yes most likely they will introduce this chemical into our normal food supply without us knowing… I worked in media for over 15 years and recently no longer working because of these television networks have been bought out by many of these companies to control information to make the bottom line for their investors. For all those concerned.. check out the documentary entitled The Corporation on Netflix or at your video store if you can find it… It’s an awesome true insight of what is really going on in the world… Being a Producer/Director I can tell you for a fact that this stuff is really going on… and media news cast are now controlled by outside companies. There is not much truth going on in the media today. So don’t hold your breath news reporters can’t do their job anymore without getting threatned to get fired. You just can’t run a story anymore that is true and factual… it now needs to be filtered through several companies…
Don’t publish without sources. Why rush it?
The organic food activist movement is being poisoned by disinformation, it’s important for all of us to be on our A-Game.
Where is the outrage from the organic community and why are there no campaigns against this? There is NOTHING about Neotame on the Organic Consumers Association website. Why??? I would like to know exactly how this was allowed to happen.
I can give up eating all organic processed foods to avoid consuming Neotame, but how can I avoid it if they are putting it in animal feed. How can anyone know if their organic meat hasn’t been contaminated with this chemical if it’s not labeled?
If this Neotame is included in ALL feed, then irregardless if you buy Organic or not, we will be getting this hidden “drug.”
Another “shot of evil” from none other than G. Soros who is a major stockholder of Monsanto. Wonder what other little gem they have waiting for us?
Wouldn’t Neotame needed to be added to the list of allowed Synthetics? If it’s not on the list – it can’t be used:
http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/t.....344.6.html
“Neotame does not have to be included in ANY list of ingredients!” – where is this supported? I don’t see reference to anything that says this is so.
In his final speech, at the end of his second term as President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the dangerous powers of the “military/industrial complex”. Here we see the power of the industrial complex in that it can ignore any rules and regulations established by government, even when it comes to our health. Profit means more than responsibility. Greed is the name of the game.
C’mon, this can cause people to stop buying organic all together. I’ve tried so hard converting people into making the better choice in the last year and you know how tough it is to awaken people to the dangers of lethal ingredients. This is bull, are you sure they’re just going to dice this ingredient into everything? Are there any groups trying to stop this? If there is no massive opposition to this it’s basically an endgame maneuver.
Mark,
As I have stated earlier, I will be providing a follow-up article sourcing from the FDA site.
Patti,
I am sifting through the docs and will be posting a follow-up article with sources.
Correction – the regulation does NOT mention it, meaning it is not allowed. Looking forward to your response!
Where is the USDA organic regulation does it say this material is allowed? The regulation’s section for allowed synthetics – 7 CFR Part 205.605 does mention it. Please state exactly your source for saying this is allowed in USDA certified organic food production.
Thanks.
Loulou,
I will be doing a follow-up article sourcing everything.
Does anyone know if they’ve found this in pet food? Have any tests been done? Surely this is toxic to animals.
In this world, nothing works perfectly. Thus although the Amish lifestyle seems ideal, be aware that they have a high percentage of specific birth defects brought about by inbreeding. It is inspiring to read the intelligent thoughts presented on this site;
but the fact that all the “sides” have merit makes one realize that
NOTHING works properly. I “side” with those who say that the world
is in entropy, caused by the so-called Fall of Man, and that only God can rescue us. The Bible does indeed predict all this, and also
predicts the rescue will come for those of good faith, and judgment
for those who are selfish, greedy, and robot-minded.
Codex is color of law and only applies to your Strawman not you the MAN or WOMAN. Remember you are a MAN or WOMAN not the identification that the Government gives you. Reserach Stawman and you will begin your true freedom.