Organic Consumers Association Statement on Starbucks Participation in Grocery Manufacturers Association’s

GMO Labeling Lawsuit against Vermont

FINLAND, Minn. –  The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has called on Starbucks to withdraw from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), an industry lobbying group that is suing Vermont to overturn the state’s GMO labeling law, and is behind H.R. 4432, a federal bill to preempt states’ rights to pass laws requiring the labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food ingredients.
Starbucks responded to petitions by OCA and others, and to a blog post by Neil Young, with this statement: "Starbucks is not a part of any lawsuit pertaining to GMO labeling nor have we provided funding for any campaign. And Starbucks is not aligned with Monsanto to stop food labeling or block Vermont State law.”
The GMA also responded, stating: "Neither Starbucks nor Monsanto is participating in our lawsuit to overturn Vermont's GMO labeling law."
Ronnie Cummins, international director of the OCA and its Mexico affiliate, Via Organica, issued the following statement today:
“Claims by Starbucks and the GMA that Starbucks is not a part of the GMA’s lawsuit against Vermont, or the GMA’s efforts to pass a federal law preempting states from passing GMO labeling laws, ring hollow with consumers who are fighting for a right that consumers in 64 other countries already have.
“Corporations join lobbying groups like the GMA so they can maintain a consumer-friendly image while the lobbying group does the dirty work for them. When Washington State sued the GMA for money laundering, the GMA defended its creation of the ‘Defense of Brand Strategic Account’ to ‘better shield individual companies from attack,’ by claiming that the lobbying group speaks ‘with one voice’ for its members.
“A statement by GMA President and CEO Pamela Bailey, on the GMA website, says: ‘From rapidly changing consumer preferences to the public policy arena, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is uniquely positioned to bring the industry together, as one voice, to lead and to address those issues that no one company can solve alone.’
“Monsanto (also a member of the GMA) and the GMA have successfully blocked GMO labeling legislation in over 30 states, at a price tag of more than $100 million. Where did the GMA get this money? From its 300+ members, which include Starbucks (and other popular consumer brands).
“Starbucks is not a member of the International Dairy Federation of America (IDFA), also a party to the lawsuit against Vermont. However, by refusing to use sustainable, organic milk in its products, the coffee giant also, albeit indirectly, supports the IDFA.
“Consumers are fed up with corporate public relations schemes intended to portray companies like Starbucks as ‘caring’ about consumers, while at the same time, behind consumers’ backs, those companies support multi-billion dollar lobbying groups that pressure the courts and federal legislators to enact anti-consumer policies. It’s time for Starbucks to come clean, by withdrawing from the GMA and switching to organic milk, or consumers will kick them to the curb.”

USDA Food Safety Tips for Cooking Thanksgiving Turkeys

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2014 – Thanksgiving is the largest meal many cooks prepare each year. Getting it just right, especially the turkey, brings a fair amount of pressure whether or not a host is experienced with roasting one. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing food safety recommendations on how to properly prepare a turkey to make sure yours is both delicious and safe to serve.

“Unsafe handling and undercooking of your turkey can lead to serious foodborne illness, explains Maria Malagon, Director of Food Safety Education with USDA FSIS. “Turkeys may contain Salmonella and Campylobacter, harmful pathogens that are only destroyed by properly preparing and cooking a turkey.”

Consumers should follow certain steps to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. According to Ms. Malagon, “those handling and cooking Thanksgiving meals should be aware of the resources available to them and the measures they can take to keep food safe.”

Steps to follow before cooking a turkey:
• Read labels carefully. Temperature labels show if the bird is fresh or frozen. If you plan to serve a fresh turkey, purchase it no more than two days before Thanksgiving.
• Purchase two thermometers: a refrigerator thermometer to ensure the turkey is stored at 40 °F or slightly below and a food thermometer to make sure the cooked turkey reaches a safe 165 °F.
• Thaw the turkey by using the microwave, the cold water method, or the refrigerator. The refrigerator method is USDA recommended.

Steps to follow when cooking a turkey:
• Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before touching any food to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness.
• Do not wash the turkey. This only spreads pathogens onto kitchen surfaces. The only way to kill bacteria that causes foodborne illness is to fully cook the turkey.
• Keep raw turkey separated from all other foods at all times.
• Use separate cutting boards, plates, and utensils when handling raw turkey to avoid cross-contamination. Wash items that have touched raw meat with warm soap and water, or place them in a dishwasher.
• Cook the turkey until it reaches 165 °F, as measured by a food thermometer. Check the turkey’s temperature by inserting the thermometer in three places: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing.

Steps to follow when consuming leftover Thanksgiving food:
• Refrigerate leftovers within two hours to prevent bacteria from growing on the food.
• Store leftovers in shallow pans or containers to decrease cooling time. This prevents the food from spending too much time at unsafe temperatures (between 40 °F to 140 °F).
• Do not store stuffing inside a leftover turkey. Remove the stuffing from the turkey, and refrigerate the stuffing and the meat separately.
• Avoid consuming leftovers that have been left in the refrigerator for longer than 3 or 4 days (next Tuesday to be exact). Use the freezer to store leftovers for longer periods of time.
• Keep leftovers in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs if the food is traveling home with a guest who lives more than two hours away.

Consumers with more food safety questions can visit FoodSafety.gov to learn more about how to safely select, thaw and prepare a turkey. They may also call the USDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist at AskKaren.gov, available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, in English or Spanish.

FSIS will provide Thanksgiving food safety information during November on Twitter, @USDAFoodSafety, and on Facebook, at Facebook.com/FoodSafety.gov.

Consumers needing help on Thanksgiving Day may contact the USDA Food Safety Hotline from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time.