Almond Pasteurization Mandate Starting Soon

Since I read the The Perricone Prescription, I've been turned on to almonds as a healthy snack and have been munching on them ever since. I usually buy them raw so that all the amazing nutrients stay in tact.

I was alarmed to recently find that beginning Septemeber 1 all U.S. grown almonds -- which are only grown in California -- must be pasteurized. They will either be treated with heat or a chemical fumigant. However, their labels can still simply state that they are raw, which can be misleading to consumers.

The new mandate is a result of two salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 that came from conventional farms. Apparently, the decision was made quietly without barely any input from consumers.

For true raw foodists this plan is especially troublesome because almonds are a staple food in their diet.

The one exception to the mandate is that almond growers can sell true raw almonds on roadside stands. However, the rest of us living in the other 49 states won't benefit from this rule.

Almonds, longed shunned for their high fat content, has in recent years become touted as a superfood because they're a great source of protein, unsaturated fat, dietary fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and calcium. Additionally, research has found that eating just a handful of almonds may help to combat obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

For more information about the new almond mandate or who to contact to voice your concern, visit these Web sites:

westinaprice.org
cornucopia.org