In 2009, a front page Washington Post article, “Integrity of Federal ‘Organic’ Label Questioned.” explained how Martek iosciences’ synthetic DHA and ARA ended up in organic infant formula. In 2006, National Organic Program staff told Martek that its synthetic DHA and ARA couldn’t be used in organic because they were synthetic and not on the National List. But, Martek’s lawyer, J. Friedman, was able to get their decision reversed by NOP director Barbara Robinson, with just a call and an email. He told the Washington Post, “I called Robinson up, I wrote an e-mail. It was a simple matter.”
The NOP and NOSB ignored evidence that Martek’s products should never have even been considered for use in organic in the first place.According to patents uncovered by the Cornucopia Institute, all of Martek’s DHA and ARA products are produced through genetic engineering, processed with volatile synthetic solvents and microencapsulated, three things that are expressly banned from USDA Organic.
Tragically, Martek’s Life’sDHA and Life’sARA, remain in hundreds of products, many of them certified USDA Organic.
Please ask the National Organic Standards Board to reverse its decision to approve Martek’s petition and urge the USDA National Organic Program to rescind the illegal 2006 approval and remove genetically engineered, volatile-synthetic-solvent-processed and microencapsulated Life’sDHA and Life’sARA from organic products.