New York Grocer to Become First Organic Certified Beef Handler

"NEW YORK, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Food Emporium, the Manhattan-based specialty gourmet grocery chain, announces today it will become the first major grocery store to be certified to handle and cut organic beef in its full-service meat departments. Sixteen Manhattan-area Food Emporiums will begin cutting fresh certified organic steaks in-house as a value-added program for its customers on November 8.

Working in close partnership with Dakota Beef, the nation's leading certified organic beef company, Food Emporium stores have undergone a rigorous certification and verification process by International Certification Services allowing them handle organic beef in accordance with the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). Without organic certification, the only way grocers can sell certified organic beef is pre-packaged. "With this organic certification, we have raised the standard of our full-service meat departments by making organic a centerpiece in the premium, gourmet experience we offer our customers," said Ray Donnelly, Senior Merchant Meat and Seafood for The Food Emporium. "No other beef supplier has brought so much extra value to our meat program as Dakota Beef has with this organic certification and their premium organic beef," he added."

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Organic Spray Pancakes?!

"Sometimes something comes along that, whilst not strictly speaking a gadget, has all the hallmarks of something that needs to be shared with the world, for the greater good. These Batter Blasters are a perfect example.

Making food is rewarding, but messy. Better for your health, but time consuming. Putting pancake batter in an aerosol can is therefore one of the smartest things I've ever seen, and goodness, it's got 'organic' plastered over it, so *must* be healthy."

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Organic Arrives in Maine

"BETHEL, Maine — If by Saturday’s end Maine’s organic farmers weren’t convinced they were on the right track, Sunday’s speakers at the 18th annual Farmer-to-Farmer Conference sealed the deal.

Maine consumers for the first time are demanding organic products at a rate that outpaces production.

Two hundred farmers who specialize in everything from vegetables to flowers to miniature cows attended the three-day seminar sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Over the weekend, they heard about alternative energy, weed control, grants, and specialty topics such as goats and flowers.

Most were already optimistic about their future in organic farming, but hearing that the demand for locally grown organic food is outstripping Maine growers’ production really put the frosting on the cake."

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California Pizzeria to Sell Bionade Soda

"Berkeley, CA, November 04, 2007 --(PR.com)-- In the city of Berkeley, California, Bobby G’s Pizzeria, a ten month old restaurant on University Ave., is the first retail establishment in Berkeley, and one of the first in the country, to sell what many consider to be the hottest, or hippest drink on the planet – Bionade organic sodas. Created in Germany, these organic sodas are huge hit in Europe. Now, after being written up in Time Magazine (Jan. 22, 2007), Bionade is poised to take the U.S. by storm.

Bionade sodas are made with all natural ingredients such as malt, water, cane sugar, and fruit essences. Created by a master brewer, Bionade is made using the same processes as and following the purity requirements traditionally used to make beer…but with no alcohol. It took eight years and a family fortune to perfect the recipe, but finally this wonderful drink is available in the U.S., at only a couple of select locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, such as Berkeley’s Bobby G’s Pizzeria."

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Peterson Gets Slammed

"Web Note: For Collin Peterson's previous outrageous statements on how organic consumers are "dumb" for paying more for local and organic foods see "Dumb Quote of the Week" in Organic Bytes #121: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/ob121.cfm

Now after a slew of irate letters from some the nation's organic consumers, Representative Peterson appears to have experienced a dramatic shift in consciousness, or at least a realization that he should keep his pro-corporate agribusiness, "dumb" thoughts to himself"

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Organic Bakery Run By Kids

"LAHORE: The first-ever organic bakery run by special children will open in Gulberg in the next week.

Around 40 special children will bake food items at the bakery. The bakery is a project of Roshni Association. It is part of a campaign against environment pollution and to promote organic lifestyle in the country. Shahida Perveen from Roshni Association said it would be the first organic bakery across the country where special children would bake several food items. She said, “We will offer whole grain bread, pastry, biscuits, pizza, cakes and patties. These items will be prepared with organic ingredients.” She said that the money earned from the sale would be spent on the welfare of special children."

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Buying Green Cosmetics and Household Products is Too Confusing!

"Though scientists, environmentalists and manufacturers probably will debate the dangers of chemicals in popular products for years to come, many consumers wonder what they can do today to make "greener" choices at the store.

Unfortunately, experts say, deciphering the labels of personal and household products isn't as simple as selecting organic produce. There's no standard, enforceable definition of a "non-toxic" or "environmentally friendly" household cleaner, says Urvashi Rangan, senior scientist and policy analyst at Consumers Union. Such terms don't provide consumers with any real guarantees about products' ingredients, she says.

There's no real standard for "natural" or "organic" cosmetics, either, says Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at the Environmental Working Group.

The Food and Drug Administration requires that cosmetics companies test their products for safety so consumers don't develop a rash or eye infection. But it doesn't require companies to study whether products contain chemicals such as endocrine disruptors.

These chemicals - which include preservatives called parabens that are found in many shampoos and conditioners - act like hormones and are linked to reproductive and development problems in infants, Houlihan says."

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