Deceptive and Ridiculous Application of the Organic Label

The National Organics Standards Board is meeting to decide whether or not to allow farmed fish to carry the federal government’s organic label.

While the industry believes an organic standard for farmed fish would improve operations and improve competition against sub-par foreign producers, opponents believe the label would violate organic standards.

According to those opposed, fish meal and fish oil used in fish farming concentrates harmful PCBs and mercury. Further, they say the most common method of fish farming, open pen net farming, is inconsistent with the principles of organic agriculture.

Currently, fish labeled “organic” in the United States does not carry an official USDA label. However, fish from foreign producers may carry an organic label issued by their own country.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is a major perversion of the organic label, in many ways not too dissimilar from what these agencies did with “organic” milk. A far better description would restrict the term to animals that are being raised completely naturally. It is a simple bastardization of the term when you apply it to products produced from animals that are raised in food factories. It is simply impossible to obtain all the benefits that were naturally included in these foods when this artificial manipulation is introduced into the system. If you read last week’s newsletter, you’re already fully aware that there is major deception going on behind any farm-raised fish that is labeled organic. Farm-raised fish are raised in so-called “feedlots of the sea.” Here they are put into overcrowded pens where disease and parasites like sea lice flourish. They are fed synthetic diets that wild fish would never eat, and their waste devastates the marine life living on the ocean floor beneath the pens. Not to mention that they’re widely known to be chock full of cancer-causing toxins like PCBs. There is clearly nothing “organic” about it. Even among farmed fish that is labeled organic, chemicals are used (including pesticide-based anti-sea lice treatments, veterinary medicines, and chlorine-based Chloramine-T and formalin, which are used to prevent fungal growth), and the fish are fed synthetic vitamins and minerals, along with processed yeast to give them color. So, folks, please do not be deceived by claims that farm-raised fish -- whether it’s organic or not -- is healthy. Avoid farm-raised fish like the plague. Even most wild fish is now on my list of foods to avoid. This is because the waters in which most wild fish swim is polluted, possibly beyond repair. If you eat fish that grew up in polluted water, you will be ingesting a slew of mercury and other industrial chemicals that persist in the water. If you would like to eat fish safely, or at least gain the health benefits of doing so, here are the three steps you need to know: Small fish like sardines and anchovies are typically safe to eat (since they are small, they’ve had less time to accumulate toxins). Wild fish should only be eaten if you can verify via lab-testing that it’s safe. Vital Choice Wild Red Salmon is one such fish. By taking a high-quality krill oil daily, you can get plenty of the beneficial compounds in fish (omega-3 fats) without having to worry about toxins. Krill are at the bottom of the food chain and have virtually no time to grow and acquire toxic heavy metals.