There’s been some chatter over the past few days regarding a recent claim that the DHA Omega-3 our Horizon brand uses in a few of our milk products is a “prohibited” or “illegal” substance. That’s a very strong accusation. It’s also not true. The USDA has not banned the use of plant-based DHA in organic milk, nor has it questioned the safety of the ingredient.
Here’s the situation – late last April (2010), the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) chose to re-evaluate the process it had been using to approve various added nutrients for organic products. The question the NOP is asking itself, is should it, as part of its current ingredient approval process, add a few new steps. Steps like requiring a formal petition process with a public hearing.
The DHA we source from Martek (our DHA provider) falls into a long list of other ingredients that would be affected by the change. A list of ingredients (like Vitamins A, D, and DHA derived from fish oil) that, like the DHA we use, are currently being used in other organically certified products. Important to note though that the USDA is still trying to figure this out, no decisions have been made as it relates to the addition of the new regulations (I also want to point out that the DHA we use, has been scientifically proven to help with brain and eye development in children… It’s good for you).
To read the rest of the story, please go to: WhiteWave Foods' The Grazing Mind