Don’t let the FDA Get Away with Their Sneak Attack on Organic Egg Farmers – Send your comments NOW

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The FDA is using an old salmonella scare to launch a sneak attack on the organic egg farming community. Their latest proposal comes as a result of the 2010 salmonella outbreak. However, they are unfairly targeting organic farmers for a problem that was created by Big Ag and factory farms, not free-roaming organic farms.

Punishing the cat for something the dog did

The two live in vastly different environments, and punishing organic farmers for Big Ag’s sins is like punishing the cat for something the dog did. Factory farms are notoriously cramped, unsanitary and cruel (warning: graphic video – but you need to watch) places for a chicken to be raised. Whereas an organic chicken is allowed to roam in various pastures, peck in the dirt, take dust baths, eat bugs and well… just be a chicken. Not only do the chickens themselves live more healthily, but their eggs are proven to provide 3x as much vitamin E, 2x more omega-3 fatty acids, and more of everything else good.

You are what you eat

If this missive is true, and I believe it is from both a biological and spiritual standpoint, then eating factory farmed chicken, eggs and related products, means you’re ingesting the pain, disease and fear of that animal. All of that misery eventually causes “dis-ease” or illness and disease in the person consuming it. Organic is better for the animal and for you.

YOU can help protect organic egg farmers – ACT NOW, deadline approaching 23 Sept.

To file your comment(s) online directly to the FDA via regulations.gov, just follow the instructions outlined below. Or, the good folks at the Cornucopia Institute have one form that also includes two additional food-related proposals. However, this form has to be hand-signed and mailed back by snail mail. At the very least, please comment on the Egg Industry Guidance. If you choose to submit the online forms, don’t worry. Everything you need is laid out here for you; you can basically copy and paste the talking points provided in the documents, but feel free to add your own as well.

  1. Just click on the links provided to go straight to that rule. If for some reason the links don’t work, then just search on the regulations.gov website for the name of the rule.
  2. Click the Comment Now button to copy/paste your comments.
  3. Select “Individual User” as the category (that’s you, the consumer)
  4. Preview, accept the statement of submission and Submit comment. That’s it!
  •  Egg-Industry Guidance (23 Sep): Guidance for Industry; Questions and Answers Regarding The Final Rule, Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation (Layers with Outdoor Access); Availability FDA comment | talking points

Additional Food Proposals
Note: The talking points are the same for both of these proposals

  • The Produce Rule (15 Nov): Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption; Extension of Comment PeriodsFDA comment | talking points
  • The Preventive Controls Rule (15 Nov):  Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food; Extension of Comment Periods FDA comment | talking points

Sources:

Cornucopia Institute – http://www.cornucopia.org/2013/09/organic-eggs/#more-9733

All other sources are linked to in the article

Sharise Cunningham
Sharise Cunningham is an experienced freelance writer and editor based in the EU and holds a B.A. in Journalism from Georgia State University (USA). She is the founder of EcoSteward, a spirit-based initiative for spreading the gospel about all things related to the environment, animal welfare, and organic and sustainable living.