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Former Monsanto lawyer now FDA Czar leads raids on Amish organic producers

by Joel McDurmon on Feb 7, 2012

You don’t need to have a degree in ethics to see the problem here. According a report by Examiner.com, “Monsanto’s Michael Taylor is the second highest-ranking official at the FDA, and as Food Safety Czar is responsible for implementing the day-to-day policies that govern the food safety laws for the U.S.”

Those “day-to-day” implementations seem to be targeted against the very type of people who pose threats to the anti-organic nature of Taylor’s former client. The report continues,

Not surprisingly, the person responsible for prioritizing armed raids on small dairies over holding agribusiness accountable is a former Monsanto attorney and chief super lobbyist. . . .

Taylor has been leading a departmental crusade against small raw milk dairy producers. So far several dairy farmers have been subject to a year-long undercover sting operation from the East Coast to California.

The hypocrisy and double-standard are open for all to see:

Incredibly, Michael Taylor and FDA inspectors have not arrested or fined the Iowa agribusinessman — Jack DeCoster — who was wholly responsible for the more than 500 million eggs that were recalled in 2010 salmonella-tainted egg recall Though this industrial agribusinessman endangered the health of millions.  Michael Taylor actions show that he thinks Amish farmers producing fresh milk are more deserving targets. Under his leadership the FDA  performs enforcement raids (with guns drawn) on the Amish.

UPDATE:

In a seemingly related story, the FDA has approved a new chemical sweetener produced by Monsanto and has reportedly waved all requirements for product labeling. In other words, this new chemical—which some natural foods advocates say has toxicity properties—can be put in foods you buy, even organics, and the label does not have to inform you of it. One California local activist says,

Aspartame can step aside. There’s a new sweetener in town and it isn’t saddled with the inconvenience of having to be listed on labels, so it can be sneaked into any prepared food, even USDA so-called Organic. So sayeth the FDA. Neotame is a Monsanto-created chemical similar to Aspartame, including its neurotoxic properties. . . .

Neotame is now being marketed as Sweetos for use in cattle feed. Molasses has been utlized to get cows to eat foods made unpalatable by chemical additives. Neotame is both less costly than molasses and subject to fewer regulations. How do you like that? A natural food is more stringently regulated than a known-poisonous chemical that’s put into food.

The reach of Neotame is likely to be extensive. They’re planning to replace other artificial sweeteners with it. A major seller of artificial sweeteners, which goes by the misleading name of Ensigns Health Care Pvt Ltd, intends to use it in place of sucralose.