Last week the Almond Board of California suddenly asked the USDA to delay the pasteurization mandate till March, 2008, (the original date was Sept 1st). The Almond Board is requesting the delay because farms need more time to get prepared, but the health food community knows better: Someone's feeling the heat, and it ain't the almonds.
What's really happening here? Is this some vast conspiracy?
No, but it is about money. The biggest almond farms, which are pushing for the mandate, don't grow organic or even raw almonds. They grow pesticide ridden, fertilizer grown, junk almonds that often are just added to other foods. And because they know their large factories and commercial farming practices encourage bacteria and salmonella contamination, they are pushing for pasteurization to cover their dirty work. Basically, the Almond Board doesn't want the industry to suffer the way that the commercial spinach farms suffered with their E.coli outbreak.
By trying to protect its rear though, the Almond Board forgot about the raw & organic crowd. Honestly, they probably thought it wouldn't even be a big deal. And maybe only a few hippies would be worried about it and everyone else wouldn't even notice. Well, they were wrong.
That's why this campaign has to be about being heard. The Almond Board has cut communication off with concerned farms, therefore it is our responsibility to make noise and make sure the press hears that noise. That's the only way we've gotten this far and it is the only way we'll make anything happen moving forward.
Originally posted August 2007 on www.welikeitraw.com
http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2007/08/almond-pasteuri.html