Codex Almentarius | The PPJ Gazette

“It is important to note that no animal identification program will prevent an introduction of animal disease, ensure safe food or prevent a recall.” – SCOTT CHARBO, Chief Information Officer at USDA March 6, 2004

In the final moves of a decades-long plan to monopolize food, Monsanto and the other big International Ag Corporations have introduced four supposed food-safety bills in the House and Senate. The USDA has a final comment period in the Federal Register on a regulation that requires all farms to carry a “Premises ID.” It magically becomes part of the deed, and removes the farmer’s Constitutional property rights. Go to Butner Blogspot to see the bills and comment to your congressman.

Independent farmers still control about 20% of the market, and Big-Ag wants that 20%—especially with organic foods and the local food movement threatening market share. The Death of Farming: a Recent History [Butner blogspot] gives a chronological picture of the corporate take over of the worlds farms and subversion of government safety measures. The attack on our food system is not just here in the USA but worldwide. It is on several fronts: from treaties, patenting of seeds and animals, to World Bank loans to nations. Those loans have strings attached that remove farm support systems and mandate industrial-export agriculture. The worst part of these attacks is a worldwide change in food inspection methods, taking control away from government agencies and giving it to the very corporations being inspected.

The new food inspection methods derive from a system called HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) which was developed by Pillsbury in the 1960’s. It was published as an International Guideline by. the Codex Alimentarius in 1993, and was incorporated into the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Agriculture (WTO AoA) in 1995. It was adopted by the FDA and USDA in 1996. Our food safety has gone downhill ever since as we moved away from government inspection of food to government inspection of paperwork.

The FSIS (Food and Safety Inspection Service) of the USDA reports:

Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems rule, (July 25, 1996) “…Under the HACCP rule, industry is responsible for assessing potential food safety hazards and systematically preventing and controlling those hazards. FSIS is responsible for verifying that establishments’ HACCP systems are working…”

Since the inception of HACCP, FSIS food inspectors have complained, but their complaints have been ignored by the USDA. The chairman of the inspectors’ union was even placed on disciplinary investigation status, and the Office of Inspector General was contacted about filing criminal charges. A December 2004 Freedom of Information Act request resulted in over 1000 non-compliance reports—weighing some 16 pounds— being turned over and the charges were dropped.

“There seems to be too much reliance on an honor system for the industry to police itself. While the USDA investigation is still on going at Hallmark/Westland, a couple of facts have emerged that point to a system that can be gamed by those who want to break the law. It (HACCP) shifted the responsibility for food safety over to the companies.” Union Chairman Stan Painter

A bill was introduced in the Senate called The Safe and Secure Food Act of 2005 FSIS calls it “Farm-To-Table – control of every step in the food chain from production to home preparation.” It failed so this time Monsanto is not taking any chances. “…“Both bills will appear simultaneously in both houses, having been planned before the fact. Since both bills are identical, there will be motions to suspend debate and none will be allowed. They will appear suddenly on the same day with the House voting first in the morning and the Senate in the afternoon….”

These bills will strangle family farms in red tape, and levy confiscatory fines, causing farmers to simply give up. Then the Big Ag corporations can grab their land, snapping it up at bargain prices. Once the regulations are in place it will be as difficult to raise a chicken or grow tomatoes as it is to manufacture Tylenol. Then corporations can set food prices in the same way they can set prescription drug prices.

If you have any questions about what is happening remember to read The Death of Farming: a Recent History then contact your Congressman. This is too important to ignore.