Congress may override the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision as early as this Thursday (October 27), reversing the court’s ban on synthetic ingredients and processing aids, such as ascorbic acid and calcium phosphate, on foods bearing the USDA organic seal.
This ban is scheduled to take effect June 2007.
If this ban takes effect, there is no doubt that bakers and the organic industry will be greatly impacted. Many organic bakers will have to claim their products as "made with organic ingredients," instead of "organic" and consumers may not be interested in paying a premium price for that product.
I spoke with Lynn Gordon, French Meadow Bakery’s founder and president, and she agrees that these substances should be banned in bakery foods. What do you think? E-mail me at mhillebrand@penton.com