A nut is a seed; a concentrated package of all the nutrition that the plant it generates will require to sprout and thrive. Nuts and seeds are original food sources in every civilization, with a nutritiously high protein and oil content. They are eaten raw, sprouted, and cooked, and their viability and unique qualities remain preserved within that God-given shell even after many years of storage.
Foundational studies of preventive medicine indicate that people whose regular diets include nuts are less likely to have heart disease, cholesterol problems, and imbalances in their omega fatty acid profiles. Nuts like almonds also have a low glycemic index, making them a good food choice for those with insulin resistance.
Dr. John M. Ellis, M.D., in his 1966 book The Doctor Who Looked at Hands, recorded Vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms in his patients, such as diabetic neuropathy, high homocysteine levels, and tingling in the extremities. Dr. Ellis documented that either B6 supplements or a handful of almonds daily could resolve most of these issues.
In all these studies, however, as well as in Dr. Ellis's practice, participants were consuming raw nuts. But government agencies are continually changing the rules when they implement regulations affecting raw foods. Anything affecting the environment in which foods are cleaned or processed can dramatically alter nutrition, as well as dietary safety. Even the word 'organic' that consumers rely on so heavily has progressively and legally evolved in industry and FDA definitions, from 'obvious' to 'ambiguous' over the last 50 years, and most people don't constantly check with regulatory agencies to discover the sometimes dubious or dangerous impacts of the latest changes.
Almond Pasteurization Mandated
In 2007, the USDA, FDA, and the California Almond Board (California produces 90% of the entire world's almond crop), issued a statement that both raw and organic almonds would require pasteurization "for consumer safety" yet they would still be labeled as raw, and neither that nor the details of the process need be disclosed in labeling. The Almond Board contends that just two salmonella and almond incidents in the last five years warranted this action.
Pasteurization is assumed to be a simple heating process, yet almond consumers aren't thrilled by these new government agency mandates, especially without labeling. Worse, it appears that California is fumigating its almonds instead, under the name 'pasteurization', using toxic epoxide 'propylene oxide' / 'glycol ethers' per the U.S. EPA. This substance is a "probable human carcinogen and central nervous system depressant", so almonds may no longer be safe to eat. Nevertheless, they are still out there on the shelves for unwitting shoppers to purchase and consume.
Consumers Want Natural Almonds
Without tampering, almonds are one of the most nutritious of nuts, and one of the original health foods; but in the current scheme of things, they have fallen prey to "protective processing" and dousing with chemicals to "keep us safe". The Weston-Price Foundation makes this statement on their web site regarding almond pasteurization: "It is very clear that the FDA does not understand the origins of the massive immune depression epidemic in America. A sterilized diet makes for a weakened immune system."
U.S. almond growers are now losing market share every time consumers chose natural exempt-from-regulation options, such as foreign-grown almonds from Europe, Internet vendors such as NutsonLine, and other on-line sellers who buy from Spain and Brazil. California almonds will simply be left on the shelves.
But other consumers are already rallying behind many organizations who are demanding justifying evidence for a policy that renders raw almonds inedible for buyers wanting organic food. The Cornucopia Institute helped almond growers file a lawsuit against the USDA, contending it exceeded its limited authority issuing the pasteurization mandate without consulting consumers, and with no evidentiary hearing.
The good news is that very early in August 2010, after almost four years in the courts and millions of tons of conventionally grown almonds being fumigated with propylene oxide (a gas similar to ether) and called pasteurized but still labeled "organic", growers have won the right to sue the USDA. In what appears to be a flagrant battle against what is vibrant in our food, once again the court system designed by our country's founders seems to be the best and last place the citizens of America can seek justice from an over-reaching government agency. The outcome remains to be seen.
Source:
Eat and Drink Better web site - Almond Growers sue the USDA about Mandatory Pasteurization.
Living Tree Community Foods Newsletter, August 4, 2010
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Marie Thomas - Marie Thomas (RieT) is an author in multiple genres, with 18 years in technical writing, and freelance work in science, biographical, and ...
