The NOSB considers whether xanthan gum should be approved for organic products
When pioneering organic farmers and businesses lobbied Congress to pass the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) in the late 1980s, there was very little organic processed food on the market. Today, a large percentage of the money spent on organic food is spent on multi-ingredient products, with the vast majority of brands owned by the same big food corporations that dominate the conventional industry.
For the ultimate in nutritional density, safety and flavor there is no comparison to fresh, whole foods purchased directly from local and regional farmers or through cooperative and independently owned grocers that have a direct relationship with the growers.
But for those multi-ingredient processed products that we enjoy — hopefully as a treat and not part of our core diets — Congress’ original intent was that all synthetic and non-organic substances used in organic food production and processing (no more than 5 percent by volume) that are not available in organic form would be carefully reviewed by the National Organic Standards Board, an independent, expert, 15-member multi-stakeholder panel.
Unfortunately, successive administrations have stacked the board with individuals who, rather than being truly independent, have direct relationships (either personally or through their employers) with the industry’s primary lobby group, the Organic Trade Association. As a result, the NOSB has approved a number of agribusiness-friendly substances that have questionable safety profiles — betraying the vision of organics as a safe haven for families wishing to avoid genetic engineering, agrochemical and drug residues, and exotic synthetic additives.
At the board’s meeting later this month, the NOSB will be deliberating whether to remove xanthan gum from the list of non-organic approved substances. Xanthan gum is used in highly processed foods and was a controversial synthetic ingredient when it was initially approved by the NOSB. Currently, among other applications, it is commonly found in gluten-free options.
There is very little history in terms of its use in human diets, and a new study, presented to the NOSB by OrganicEye as part of our comments, suggests that it materially changes the microflora in the intestines of humans. This merits particular attention at a time when an emerging body of scientific literature illustrates the importance of gut microbiota as an integral part of the human immune system, with impacts on our overall health, including our ability to fight cancer and viruses like COVID.
Mark Kastel is the executive director of OrganicEye (organiceye.org). This article was originally published on the OrganicEye website and is used with permission.
