Almond Growers and Handlers File Federal Lawsuit Seeking to End “Adulteration” of Raw Nuts
A group of fifteen American almond growers and wholesale nut handlers filed a lawsuit in the Washington, D.C. federal court on Tuesday, September 9 seeking to repeal a controversial USDA-mandated treatment program for California-grown raw almonds.

The almond farmers and handlers contend that their businesses have been seriously damaged and their futures jeopardized by a requirement that raw almonds be treated with propylene oxide (a toxic fumigant recognized as a carcinogen by the EPA) or steam-heated before they can be sold to American consumers. Foreign-grown almonds are exempt from the treatment scheme and are rapidly displacing raw domestic nuts in the marketplace.

Tens of thousands of angry consumers have contacted the USDA to protest the compulsory almond treatment since the agency’s new regulation went into effect one year ago. Some have expressed outrage that even though the nuts have been processed with a fumigant, or heat, they will still be labeled as “raw.”

Additional background information on the almond treatment issue, including a copy of the legal complaint, can be found on The Cornucopia Institute’s web page, under the Authentic Almond Project, at www.cornucopia.org.

Interim Final Rule on COOL
On July 28, 2008, the USDA issued an interim final rule for the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. The program, which will go into effect on September 30, will expand the list of covered commodities to include chicken, goat meat, ginseng, pecans and macadamia nuts.

Commodities covered under COOL must be labeled at retail to indicate their country of origin. However, they are excluded from mandatory COOL if they are an ingredient in a processed food item.