I have been very careful to buy organic eggs lately. I am also very interested in speaking with ranches and producers of eggs about their livestock feed.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the questions I have been asking the CDFA and the FSIS about eggs, melamine and livestock feed.
Well, I wanted to update that info and try to get more answers. So today I called Norco Ranch, an egg producer in Riverside California. I spoke with a rep about the eggs labeled organic with vegetarian feed. I told him my family had purchased eggs labeled organic, and I wanted to clarify the labels and confirm the claims about cage-free access and animal feed on the carton. He assured me that the livestock that produce those eggs don't eat any animal scraps, only vegetarian feed including corn and soy. When I asked him if there was melamine in the animal feed, he said, "Not for the eggs you purchased". I was actually a little shocked at his reply. So naturally I asked him if there was melamine in the feed for the rest of the hens that produce the rest of the other caged, non-organic eggs, because I know sometimes melamine is used in feed as a binder. He replied that "sure, probably" there was melamine in the feed, that he "hasn't checked" but that there "probably is melamine" in that feed.
I called FSIS (my last post on this topic pointed out that I was directed to call them) and spoke with a rep who said I had to call the FDA. Good times! We both laughed an agreed that the phone would not be answered - it would just keep ringing. The FSIS said, "We're a federal agency and we can't even get through to the FDA." . Ugh. The FDA. In all seriousness, it's not funny. So I called the California Department of Food and Agriculture (last time I emailed them) because I found a link on their website that says they are the agency that oversees livestock feed on the state level in California. I spoke with a rep in Sacramento. She stated that CDFA does random testing for melamine at UC Davis. I asked her if I could get the results of those tests and she put me on hold then came back and referred me to the Head of the Investigation Team. I left him a message. I hope he calls me back.
In light of the recent information about melamine-tainted livestock feed causing melamine-tainted eggs, I think there needs to be more worldwide testing of the eggs we consume. And the results need to be publicized. Contrary to James McWilliams' Op-Ed in the New York Times, everyone doesn't have the choice to buy organic food. Organic food is expensive and people on fixed incomes, such as seniors, and millions of people who can barely afford the rising cost of food, do not simply have the choice to start buying organic to protect their family from poisonous food. Whether you can afford melamine-free food or organic food - or not, everyone deserves the same healthy choices.
Well, I wanted to update that info and try to get more answers. So today I called Norco Ranch, an egg producer in Riverside California. I spoke with a rep about the eggs labeled organic with vegetarian feed. I told him my family had purchased eggs labeled organic, and I wanted to clarify the labels and confirm the claims about cage-free access and animal feed on the carton. He assured me that the livestock that produce those eggs don't eat any animal scraps, only vegetarian feed including corn and soy. When I asked him if there was melamine in the animal feed, he said, "Not for the eggs you purchased". I was actually a little shocked at his reply. So naturally I asked him if there was melamine in the feed for the rest of the hens that produce the rest of the other caged, non-organic eggs, because I know sometimes melamine is used in feed as a binder. He replied that "sure, probably" there was melamine in the feed, that he "hasn't checked" but that there "probably is melamine" in that feed.
I called FSIS (my last post on this topic pointed out that I was directed to call them) and spoke with a rep who said I had to call the FDA. Good times! We both laughed an agreed that the phone would not be answered - it would just keep ringing. The FSIS said, "We're a federal agency and we can't even get through to the FDA." . Ugh. The FDA. In all seriousness, it's not funny. So I called the California Department of Food and Agriculture (last time I emailed them) because I found a link on their website that says they are the agency that oversees livestock feed on the state level in California. I spoke with a rep in Sacramento. She stated that CDFA does random testing for melamine at UC Davis. I asked her if I could get the results of those tests and she put me on hold then came back and referred me to the Head of the Investigation Team. I left him a message. I hope he calls me back.
In light of the recent information about melamine-tainted livestock feed causing melamine-tainted eggs, I think there needs to be more worldwide testing of the eggs we consume. And the results need to be publicized. Contrary to James McWilliams' Op-Ed in the New York Times, everyone doesn't have the choice to buy organic food. Organic food is expensive and people on fixed incomes, such as seniors, and millions of people who can barely afford the rising cost of food, do not simply have the choice to start buying organic to protect their family from poisonous food. Whether you can afford melamine-free food or organic food - or not, everyone deserves the same healthy choices.
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