Who Owns the Organic Brands?

 by: Catherine J. Frompovich

image source

Money is being spent BIG time in offensives against GMO labeling bills introduced in various states. One humongous battle—over $7.2 Million worth and counting—that currently is going on, is in the State of Washington regarding Initiative 522. Mike Adams of Natural News discusses that here.

Regarding the defeat of GMO Labeling Proposition 37 in California in November of 2012, Common Dreams says this:

Opposition of Proposition 37 was spearheaded by large agribusiness and chemical companies—such as Monsanto and Dow—and big food manufacturers—including PepsiCo, Nestle, and Conagra—who dumped more than $45 million into the fight.Monsanto, a leading maker of genetically engineered seeds, contributed $8.1 millionalone against the measure which would have required labeling on genetically modified food. (Source) [CJF Emphasis added]

Recently, the apparent illegal activities of the Grocery Manufacturers Association in Washington State were uncovered, i.e., “the Grocery Manufacturers Association got caught red-handed violating Washington state fair election laws by running a money laundering slush fund designed to conceal the identities of food companies giving money to block  I-522,” as Mike Adams points out.

Washington State’s Attorney General got involved, and suddenly GMA saw the light and divulged who was ponying up bucks to defeat I-522. The food companies involved are listed later on in this article. 

However, maybe it would be helpful if consumers everywhere, not just in Washington State, knew how many of the organic labels actually are owned by Big Agra firms. Keeping that ownership in mind, one ought to question what the method to their madness is. Realistically, they have the best of both worlds: profits from organic food labels and standard labels, since many of them own both, if not most of the organics.

Questions about allowing the use of GMOs in organic food products have been buzzing around the industry for a long time, and the USDA addresses that in a series of articles. In its May 17, 2013 article“Organic 101: Can GMOs Be Used in Organic Products?” the USDA explains what’s going on. 

The dichotomous part about GMO labeling is this: If USA food manufacturers want to ship product to other countries, they must label GMOs. That brings to mind the fact that U.S. brands do not place certain chemicals and food colors in foods shipped to the U.K. See this from Prevention’s blog:

According to CBS Money Watch, American companies that are part of our Grocery Manufacturers Association, household names like Kraft, Pepsi and Kellogg, “have switched to natural colorings in their products in the U.K.,where warning labels are required, but they’re not doing that here for the most part. That’s because no one’s making them do it, and switching would cost a lot of money.” 

And interestingly,Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-Mart have already removed these artificial food colors and dyes from the products that they distribute in other countries. They’ve reformulated their product lines in other countries and no longer include these food dyes, and they did it in response to consumer demand and an extraordinary study called the Southampton Study. [1]

If GMA food manufacturers can do it for food exports, why not for food stuffs sold here in the USA? The reason probably is because of their being ‘in cahoots’ with the chemical industry. Chemical companies also pony up dollars to fight GMO labeling bills. It would seem that it’s about maintaining the chemicalization of the U.S. food supply.
 

This website talks about GMO food labeling laws in various countries. 

GMA Members Financially Supporting Washington State I-522 

Annotated with their Organic and/or Natural Brand Names

Abbott Nutrition
Bimbo Bakeries USA
Bruce Foods Corp.
Bumble Bee Foods, LLC
Bunge North America, Inc.
Bush Brothers & Co.
Campbell Soup Co.

Organic Brands: V8 Organic; Prego Organic; Pace Organic; Swanson Organic; Campbell’s Organic

Cargill Inc.

Entered into an alliance to develop naturally enhanced ingredients with Hain Celestial in 2003 

Hain Celestial Organic Brands: Earth Best; Nile Spice; Spectrum Organics; Garden of Eatin’; DeBole’s; Arrowhead Mills; Health Valley; Bread Shop; Casbah, Imagine Rice; Dream Soy; Dream; Celestial Seasonings; Westsoy; Little Bear; Bearitos; Westbrae; Shari Ann’s; Mountain Sun; Walnut Acres; Fruitti di Bosca; Millina’s Finest

Organic Brand: French Meadow 
Clement Pappas & Co. Inc.
The Clorox Co. 

Brand: Burt's Bees Products

The Coca-Cola Co.

Brands: Honest Tea; Odwalla

ConAgra Foods

Organic Brands: Hunt’s Organic; Orville Redenbacher’s Organic; PAM Organic; Alexia Food; Lightlife

Dean Foods Co. 

Organic Brands: Horizon milk; White Wave Silk; Alta Dena; The Organic Cow of Vermont

Del Monte Foods Co.
Flowers Foods, Inc.
General Mills, Inc. 

Organic Brands: Gold Medal Organic; Cascadian Farm; Muir Glen 

Brand: Larabar

The Hershey Co.

Organic Brand: Hershey Organic; Dagoba

The Hillshire Brands Co.

Organic Brand: Aidells Sausage

Hormel Foods Corp.
The J.M. Smucker Co.
Kellogg Co. 

Brand: Pop-Tarts 

Organic Brands: Keebler Organic; Kellogg’s Organic; Bear Naked; Wholesome & Hearty; Kashi; Morningstar Farms Natural Touch

Knouse Foods Cooperative, Inc.
Land O'Lakes, Inc.
McCormick & Co., Inc
Mondelez Global, LLC.
Moody Dunbar, Inc.
Nestle USA, Inc.

Organic Brands: Power Bar Pria Grain Essentials; Tribe Mediterranean Foods

Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
PepsiCo, Inc. 

Organic Brand: Naked Juice 

Organic Brand: Tostito’s Organic; Tropicana Organic
Pinnacle Foods Group, LLC.
Rich Products Corp.
Shearer's Foods, Inc.
Sunny Delight Beverages Co.
Welch Foods, Inc.

Note: The above annotations reflect information from various charts on the Internet. [2]

This Flowchart of the Ten Major Food Companies ought to be contrasted with that of 

Source: Truth Seekers Archives (click to enlarge)

The Cornucopia Institute’s Who Owns Organics

Click to Enlarge

There also are numerous Private Organic Label Brands. This website identifies them.

Now that you know, you can shop accordingly. Remember, consumers always hold an ace card: We maintain the power of the purse. How we spend our money for food affects corporations’ bottom lines. Don’t ever let them forget it! Boycotts can work well in getting points across.

Notes:

[1] http://blogs.prevention.com/inspired-bites/2013/07/24/double-standards-serving-up-food-dyes-uk-style/

[2] https://www.google.com/search?q=organic+industry+structure&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=pBljUoGOH9Pl4AOJuoHIDg&sqi=2&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1011&bih=557

Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies. Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Catherine’s latest book, published October 4, 2013, is Vaccination Voodoo, What YOU Don’t Know About Vaccines, available on Amazon.com.

Her 2012 book A Cancer Answer, Holistic BREAST Cancer Management, A Guide to Effective & Non-Toxic Treatments, is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle eBook.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).

SOURCE

Republicans Demand Social Security And Medicare Cuts, Is It Reported? And A Note From A Sheep No More About the Left/Right False Paradigm!

NOTE FROM A SHEEP NO MORE:  The author of this article focuses on the left vs right paradigm, and one can clearly see from his writings that he has been indoctrinated into the left democratic party. Those who are awake and view A Sheep No More's content know that there is NO two-party system. They are also aware of the fact that the left/right, "he said" "she said" bantering back and forth is nothing but a dog and pony show to keep the slave population under control by eliciting infighting among them via the divide and conquer agenda. Both parties work for the criminal elite and do not represent the people. The New World Order (NWO) plan is on full warp speed and both the media and politicians just playing their respective roles.

Austerity is the plan to rape Americans further of any benefits that they paid into for future utilization. America will see no difference in actions from these political pundits than did Greece and/or Spain. For the sleeping masses, this will create exactly what the criminal elite desire. More loyalty for their respective "brainwashed"  party and more division and  infighting with their fellow man/woman slave. When slaves fight, they do not unite and rise up against the controlling elite establishment. The plan has been in place for a long time; economically build America up through the use of their slave's labor, then steal their slave's assets leaving only the very rich and the very poor. This makes for a better, more obedient slave system or slaves that eventually die off due to extreme poverty.

Article commences below:

by Dave Johnson

Republicans are demanding cuts in Social Security and Medicare if Democrats want to change the terms of the “sequester.” I’m sure their Tea Party “base” would be shocked if they understood this. So would most Americans. So is the media giving Americans the information they need in order to make informed decisions?

Yesterday The Hill reported, in House GOP says sequester is leverage in next budget battle, that Rep. Paul Ryan is pushing for cuts in Social Security and Medicare:  

In a meeting with House conservatives, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), told rank-and-file lawmakers that, as the party’s chief budget negotiator, he would push instead [of killing Obamacare] for long-term reforms to entitlement programs in exchange for changes to sequestration spending cuts that Democrats are expected to demand.

[. . .] Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) said that during the GOP meeting, Ryan pointed to sequestration as the party’s leverage with Democrats and said the Republican negotiators would not accept revenue increases in exchange.

“We’re going to try to push for some substantial reforms on entitlement spending and our backstop is sequestration,” Salmon said in describing Ryan’s remarks.

Most American’s don’t read The Hill. And most Americans don’t know that “long-term reforms” to “entitlement spending” specifically means cuts to Social Security andMedicare.

Reuters is pretty much the only outlet carrying this news, in U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan wants narrower focus for new budget talks,

Ryan, who will lead Republicans on the panel, said there was a better chance of finding common ground with Democrats on “smarter” spending cuts to replace the across-the-board reductions to discretionary spending. He said those include reforms to “entitlements,” which include the Medicare and Social Securityprograms for the elderly, Medicaid healthcare for the poor and some farm subsidy programs.

That’s about it. So let’s go back to a few weeks before The Hill’s report, and see if there have been reports in the major media that spell out for the public that, having dropped their demand to get rid of Obamacare Republicans are demanding cuts in SocialSecurity and Medicare.

On October 8 Ryan laid it out in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Paul Ryan: Here’s How We Can End This Stalemate, in which he called for cuts in Medicare and SocialSecurity,

To break the deadlock, both sides should agree to common-sense reforms of the country’s entitlement programs and tax code.

… We could provide relief from the discretionary spending levels in the Budget Control Act in exchange for structural reforms to entitlement programs.

… mandatory spending—which mostly consists of funding for Medicare, Medicaidand Social Security—will grow by $1.6 trillion, or roughly 79%. The 2011 Budget Control Act largely ignored entitlement spending. But that is the nation’s biggest challenge.

(Note that later in this op-ed he explains that “reform” of the tax code means “lower the rates.”)

Here is NBC News, October 17, actually saying it, in Fiscal deal opens door to big tax and entitlement changes,

The deal struck Wednesday in Washington could make it easier for lawmakers to make big changes to tax policy, spending and entitlement programs.

… This blueprint could be the vehicle for major policy changes intended to reduce budget deficits and debt. These might include tax increases and curbs in the entitlement programs such as Medicare.

I can’t find much else. Can you? Do people you talk to understand that Republicans are demanding cuts in Social Security and Medicare? How do you think people would react if they understood this?

To many in the voting public the word “entitlements” does not translate to “Social Security and Medicare.” Ryan and the Republicans understand this. This is why they talk about “reforming” something that is not clearly understood as Social Security and Medicare.

So again, have any major news outlets explained to the public using words that the public understands that the Republican position in the current budget negotiations is a demand to cut Social Security and Medicare?

About the author: Dave Johnson is a Fellow with Campaign for America’s Future and a Senior Fellow with Renew California. Dave is founder and principal author at Seeing the Forest, and a blogger at Speak Out California. He is a frequent public speaker, talk-radio personality and a leading participant in the progressive blogging community.

SOURCE

The Two-Party Oligarchy Vs. The People

By David DeGraw

Watching Democrats complain about Republicans and Republicans complain about Democrats is like watching two Neanderthals throw rocks at each other while a pack of lions surround them.

Dear Independent Media, Stop Contributing to Our Demise, It’s Time to Evolve!

Independent news sites are excellent sources for in-depth information on many vital political issues. Most of them work hard to get the facts right and provide much needed context to move our national debate forward. However, they have a fatal flaw. There is a rule of war that many Independent media outlets are failing to understand: “Do not fight the last war.”

In The 33 Strategies of War, Robert Greene calls this “The Guerrilla-War-Of-The-Mind Strategy.”

“What most often weighs you down and brings you misery is the past, in the form of unnecessary attachments, repetitions of tired formulas, and the memory of old victories and defeats. You must consciously wage war against the past and force yourself to react to the present moment. Be ruthless on yourself; do not repeat the same tired methods.”

When Progressive news sites complain about Republicans, or Conservative sites complain about Democrats, I can’t help but think that they are insuring their own demise,and the rest of the country’s for that matter. By buying into the Democrat versus Republican charade they have become the most important cog in suppressing any organized resistance.

They need to ask themselves a serious question: Are they doing this type of work to actually change the dire situation we find ourselves in?

Given your deep understanding of current political issues, I find it incredibly hard to believe that people can't see how global corporate interests have completely bought off both political parties.

How betrayed do people have to be before they realize that both parties are against you?

Our country has been robbed. Our future prospects are bleak. Trillions of dollars have been looted from the economy and no one in our government is holding the thieves accountable – Obama is not, the Democrats are not and the Republicans are not. They are all pivotal accomplices in the continued rape of our country. So let's stop deluding ourselves into believing that only the opposing party is to blame. Focusing on one party as the source of our problems is journalistically lazy and intellectually naïve. Dig deeper! Follow the money. Focus on the people who fund both parties.

The Two-Party Oligarchy Vs. The People

Our current economic crisis has proven that the Democrat versus Republican dynamic is obsolete, the only thing that matters now is us versus them. When I say “us,” I mean 99% of the US population. When I say “them,” I mean the ruling class. The ruling class includes Republicans, Democrats, and more importantly, the people and corporations who fund them. That is the dividing line. Adhere to it. Otherwise you are playing into their divide-and-conquer strategy, and you are complicit in our demise.

The mainstream corporate media continually propagates the rhetoric of division so we don’t need to add to it. We are all on this sinking ship together and we don’t have much time left to turn things around. So let’s drop the tired old labels and focus on uniting people, not dividing them.

Every time anyone wants to write the word “Republicans” or “Democrats,” just change it to “the two-party oligarchy.” If we do that, we will gain credibility and influence, and we may actually get some of the change that you claim to want.

Obviously we are going to have strong disagreements on many issues, but there are key issues that we must urgently come together on, or we will all continue our downward spiral.

As famed military strategist Carl von Clauswitz wrote in his study On War, it is pivotal to strike at “the center of gravity,” at “the hub of all power and movement, on which everything depends.” Or as Henry David Thoreau said, “There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”

Let’s heed their advice and strike at “the center of gravity,” at “the root” of our problems.

Here are the seven key issues that keep 99% of the US population without political representation:

1) The two-party system;

2) Campaign finance;

3) Lobbying;

4) The revolving door;

5) The concentration of media ownership;

6) The big banks;

7) The rule of law does not apply to the richest one-tenth of one percent of the population.

Until the rule of law is applied, and until all of these issues are resolved, we will continue to live in a banana republic where the government will not have the trust or the consent of the governed, and rightfully so.

This isn’t rocket science, this is common sense. If we can focus and organize on these core common-ground issues, we can win this war.

So don’t be a partisan hack!

Stop fighting yesterday’s war. Stop playing the lesser-of-two-evils game. Transcend the two-party oligarchy. Grow up, evolve. Adapt to the quickly changing and deteriorating environment. The time for slight change is over, half-measures will no longer suffice. It’s up to the Independent media to demonstrate a new way forward.

Fight the war that is in front of us.

We need radical change; a paradigm shift, if you will. And we need it now.

SOURCE

Seven ways to bulletproof your immune system this winter

by: Derek Henry

The immune system is where the rubber meets the road, and if you fail to get it in order, your health goes downhill. Start building your immune system by incorporating these seven things to help get you through the winter without wearing a surgical mask on a daily basis.

Get grounded

Grounding, which is simply putting your skin into direct contact with the surface of the Earth, has a host of benefits with one being to the immune system.

Due to its overall anti-inflammatory effects and ability to regulate cortisol secretion, grounding eliminates two important factors that lower your immunity.

If you can't access the Earth barefoot, consider using grounding technology.

Find a good source of vitamin D

If you live in an area with consistent sunlight, all you need to do is get out in the direct sunlight for 20-30 minutes a day. However, during the winter months, it can become increasingly difficult for people further north to access the sun's rays on a consistent basis.

In this case, take a liquid vitamin D supplement for those months of little-to-no sunshine then check into that sunny holiday and stock up on the beach.

Vitamin D is critical for overall immune function.

Take liposomal vitamin C

Vitamin C is a commonly known immune booster and is a product typically stocked up on with the winter season approaching.

This family favorite has now become even more effective with the introduction of liposomal vitamin C. This formulation utilizes consistent 150mm sized liposomes, which facilitates greater absorption of the vitamin C in the formula.

It's one thing to take immune-boosting supplements, and its often quite another to absorb them. Liposomal vitamin C helps address both factors.

Consume medicinal mushrooms

In recent years, scientists have been studying the benefits of medicinal mushrooms on the immune system and have found the key to be connected to their beta-glucan content.

Beta-glucans have been known by scientists as "biological response modifiers" that bind to the surface of immune cells, which gives them better coordination in their attack.

This compound also activates certain immune cells, such as T-cells, macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells and cytokines interleukin 1 and 2. This helps strengthen the immune response to microbial invaders.

Go hard on the garlic

Garlic has been long known for its potent antibacterial, viral and fungal properties, which strengthens the gastrointestinal and immune systems. Making it a part of your food preparation and incorporating it into a tea with lemon and raw honey will give your immune system some more back up.


Get fermenting
Fermented vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and probiotics, which are all significant factors in strengthening your immune system. A well-mineralized and balanced inner ecology will go a long way in keeping you from getting sick this winter.

Get enough rest

An often underestimated factor for boosting your immune system is getting enough rest, and at the premiere times of the day.

Since the majority of your energy goes to repair and rejuvenation during sleep, it is one of the most important things to do correctly. This means getting to bed before 11pm to facilitate deep sleep in the early hours of the morning (when the best repair takes place) and allowing at least 7 to 8 hours of solid, relatively uninterrupted sleep (taking no more than 5 minutes to get back to sleep if you wake up).

Incorporating these seven things this winter will give you enhanced immunity to keep you from becoming a victim of a bacterial or viral infection.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

About the author:
Motivated by his own story of being sick and crippled at age 30 to healthy and pain free 5 years later, Derek is an expert in helping people get on track in a fraction of the time it took him on his own journey. Actively engaged in the research of natural healing for over 6 years, Derek has spent over 3000 hours studying and collaborating with top minds in nutrition and utilizes that extensive knowledge to deliver protocols that help people overcome their own health challenges. 

Derek is currently a Master Health Coach and writer of over 200 natural health articles, many of which are featured at his primary website, http://healingthebody.ca/ and his Healing the Body Facebook page. 

SOURCE: Natural News