# Article about Silk Soy Milk



## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I don't drink soy milk, but I know that a lot of people do. I haven't read through the entire article, but I thought I'd paste it here for those of you who drink Silk. I have no opinion about it, I'm just posting the article. 


*From: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.ph...

• Dean Foods investors include Pfizer, ExxonMobil, Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart.

• Dean Foods controls 70% of all "organic" milk products sold in the U.S.

• Dean Foods brands include Hershey's, Folgers, Borden, Horizon milk, Stroh's ice cream and Silk soy milk.

• Dean Foods spent over $1 million on lobbyists in 2006.

• The CEO of Dean Foods, Gregg Engles, was paid $3.4 million in salary and nearly $58 million in exercised stock options in 2006 alone.

Additional sources for this story include:

Cornucopia Target complaint (PDF)
http://www.cornucopia.org/USDA/Targ...

Star-Telegram
http://www.star-telegram.com/local/...</span>*


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Thanks for the article. I stay away from soy but this is really good for people to know. I see that it is made by Dean Foods. That's the company that makes Horizon products ... aren't they the ones who were buying milk from puppymill farmers?


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

This is a huge problem. With my DH being a vegan and trying to eat as healthy as possible we are very careful about what he purchases and we noted that the store brand soy milk was healthier than Silk but we have also noted that a lot of product is very misleading. It has taken us alot of time to really know what to look for on labels and the like. Thank you for the article - natural vs. organic soy is an important difference.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (K/C Mom @ Nov 10 2009, 08:36 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849486


> Thanks for the article. I stay away from soy but this is really good for people to know. I see that it is made by Dean Foods. That's the company that makes Horizon products ... aren't they the ones who were buying milk from puppymill farmers?[/B]


Yes.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (Hunter's Mom @ Nov 10 2009, 09:27 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849505


> This is a huge problem. With my DH being a vegan and trying to eat as healthy as possible we are very careful about what he purchases and we noted that the store brand soy milk was healthier than Silk but we have also noted that a lot of product is very misleading. It has taken us alot of time to really know what to look for on labels and the like. Thank you for the article - natural vs. organic soy is an important difference.[/B]


Men should be careful with consuming soy as the plant sterols in it mimic estrogen in the body.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

I hate sneeky manufacturers. This is the same reason why i got so pissed off when Natural Balance changed their duck and potato formula with no indication whatsoever on their bag. Only on the website. God forbid they spend the money and put forth the effort to add a little stamp that says "new formula" on the bag. Or a sticker. I only found out by Ollie's sudden stomach upsets and by researching it. Anyway, I digress....thanks for the head's up....


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (camfan @ Nov 10 2009, 10:46 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849541


> I hate sneeky manufacturers. This is the same reason why i got so pissed off when Natural Balance changed their duck and potato formula with no indication whatsoever on their bag. Only on the website. God forbid they spend the money and put forth the effort to add a little stamp that says "new formula" on the bag. Or a sticker. I only found out by Ollie's sudden stomach upsets and by researching it. Anyway, I digress....thanks for the head's up....[/B]



Yes, I hate sneaky mfgrs too. They've been around forever. One of the many reasons why I try to buy everything from scratch and cook it myself. I don't trust them. You wouldn't believe how many so-called gluten-free products really aren't gluten-free. After getting sick from a couple of products, I learned that someone with a home test kit had tested them, and they had tested positive for gluten. One of the many reasons why I am no longer eating anything with grains in it.


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

another great article, thank you for sharing! what i don't understand is why is lying legal? horizon claims their milk is organic, but its not?


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

QUOTE (tamizami @ Nov 10 2009, 06:53 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849715


> another great article, thank you for sharing! what i don't understand is why is lying legal? horizon claims their milk is organic, but its not?[/B]


I think the label changed from organic to natural. Also they are lobbying to lower the standard for labeling food organic...


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

Today I was at Albertsons and noticed that they have two varieties of Silk -- a blue box that says "organic", and a red box that says "natural"...so they may still be offering both varieties. They were both the same size and same price.


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## lovesophie (Jan 28, 2008)

If that's not deceit, I don't know what is.

Thanks for sharing!

I don't eat soy products, but my dad's an avid drinker of 365 Soy Milk, unfortunately.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

QUOTE (LJSquishy @ Nov 10 2009, 04:10 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849721


> Today I was at Albertsons and noticed that they have two varieties of Silk -- a blue box that says "organic", and a red box that says "natural"...so they may still be offering both varieties. They were both the same size and same price.[/B]


Thanks for the post, and I don't mean to minimize your intentions, but this is my 2 cents....

We use Silk for cereal and love it. I've used several brands of soy milk, and several others like Rice milk, etc., I prefer the Silk products, so far. I don't think a 1/2 c. on cereal is going to put my DH over the edge with estrogen. I was raised a vegetarian, not vegan, and have always used many soy products. It is an excellent protein.

They have recently (in my area) changed all Silk labeling. They have about a half dozen different Silk milk styles with different colors of cartons and one is "Organic" in a very green carton. The one I use is the Natural (Plain not Vanilla) with extra 'DHA for heart' on the label. I don't think I'm getting too many pesticides from my 1/2 c. a day. Or maybe, I don't seem to have a flee problem. :smrofl: ....but seriously, I do use a lot of organic products, where reasonable and convenient--including dog food. I'll try the Organic labeled one, but if it isn't as creamy and tastey I'll probably use my favorite.

I know nothing about Dean Foods. If we knew everything about all owners and manufacturers of every product we wouldn't be able to buy anything.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Another thing to consider about soy is this: If it is not organic, then it might be from genetically modified soybeans. No one yet knows the consequences of eating genetically modified foods.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 11 2009, 10:24 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849989


> Another thing to consider about soy is this: If it is not organic, then it might be from genetically modified soybeans. No one yet knows the consequences of eating genetically modified foods.[/B]



Not something I'm worried about.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 10 2009, 10:06 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849524


> Men should be careful with consuming soy as the plant sterols in it mimic estrogen in the body.[/B]



Very interesting. I was actually going to post the same thing about the mimicing of estrogen (Allthough I didn't know the 'plant sterols' part  )

I was told by my doctor to cut out the soy for that same reason and I am female. I used to eat soybeans dried, eat soy butter on my toast, and drink lots of soy milk, every flavour. Now I have switched to rice milk. As I don't drink cow milk, I needed something for my cereal.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (Canada @ Nov 12 2009, 01:40 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850259


> QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 10 2009, 10:06 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849524





> Men should be careful with consuming soy as the plant sterols in it mimic estrogen in the body.[/B]



Very interesting. I was actually going to post the same thing about the mimicing of estrogen (Allthough I didn't know the 'plant sterols' part  )

I was told by my doctor to cut out the soy for that same reason and I am female. I used to eat soybeans dried, eat soy butter on my toast, and drink lots of soy milk, every flavour. Now I have switched to rice milk. As I don't drink cow milk, I needed something for my cereal.
[/B][/QUOTE]

I used to drink soy milk years ago and my gyn told me to stop. I use coconut milk. It's yummy.


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## iheartbisou (Feb 13, 2007)

I don't drink soy milk (I do use rice milk in my cereal because I don't like the taste of milk so much) but I do eat a lot of (fresh) edamame beans...and while I do not agree at all with shady advertising, $1M is not really a lot to spend on lobbying. Also I like organic products but I also recognize there is also a trendiness factor in "organic' or "bio-xxx" advertising, whether in the US or Europe-or elsewhere. Just because something is organic still doesn't make it good necessarily either. 

I've too read that soy can increase estrogen but I wonder how much soy actually is required for levels to increase, be noticeable or even dangerous?


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (shanghaimomma @ Nov 12 2009, 07:01 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850288


> I don't drink soy milk (I do use rice milk in my cereal because I don't like the taste of milk so much) but I do eat a lot of (fresh) edamame beans...and while I do not agree at all with shady advertising, $1M is not really a lot to spend on lobbying. Also I like organic products but I also recognize there is also a trendiness factor in "organic' or "bio-xxx" advertising, whether in the US or Europe-or elsewhere. Just because something is organic still doesn't make it good necessarily either.
> 
> I've too read that soy can increase estrogen but I wonder how much soy actually is required for levels to increase, be noticeable or even dangerous?[/B]




I do agree completely that there is a huge trendiness to organic, but as someone who has eaten organic way back when it was called "hippie" food, I can tell you that genetic modification of foods is a big concern now on many levels. There are too many unknowns associated with it, not enough independent testing, and it is killing our smaller farmers as genetically modified seeds are patented and small farmers are being put out of business as they can no longer save their own seeds and if genetically modified seeds blow on their land, they get sued by big agri. The whole story is told in "The Future of Food," movie. It is available online at google video or you tube.

Organic food by law cannot be genetically modified. If one has health issues, pesticides _might_ do damage to the immune system, as some of them also act as estrogen mimicers in the body and others damage the nervous system. (Some pesticides work on insects reproductive system and some are neurological.) There is investigation going on into the link between ingesting large amounts of pesticides to Parkinson's disease. It is true that there are minute quantities of pesticides in any given food, but when we add up all the food/drink we eat that contains pesticides and then look at the big picture, we may not realize how much we are ingesting. Of course they are generally recognized as safe, but I'm not convinced. 

Fresh Edamame as far as I know, should be fine in moderation, but as with any food that can play around with hormones, imo, it is always best to limit them. I'm sorry I don't know how much or how little you should eat. Maybe you could do some research and then let us know. (I don't eat any soy at all. It doesn't agree with me.)


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## BrookeB676 (Oct 17, 2004)

QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 07:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850303


> QUOTE (shanghaimomma @ Nov 12 2009, 07:01 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850288





> I don't drink soy milk (I do use rice milk in my cereal because I don't like the taste of milk so much) but I do eat a lot of (fresh) edamame beans...and while I do not agree at all with shady advertising, $1M is not really a lot to spend on lobbying. Also I like organic products but I also recognize there is also a trendiness factor in "organic' or "bio-xxx" advertising, whether in the US or Europe-or elsewhere. Just because something is organic still doesn't make it good necessarily either.
> 
> I've too read that soy can increase estrogen but I wonder how much soy actually is required for levels to increase, be noticeable or even dangerous?[/B]




I do agree completely that there is a huge trendiness to organic, but as someone who has eaten organic way back when it was called "hippie" food, I can tell you that genetic modification of foods is a big concern now on many levels. There are too many unknowns associated with it, not enough independent testing, and it is killing our smaller farmers as genetically modified seeds are patented and small farmers are being put out of business as they can no longer save their own seeds and if genetically modified seeds blow on their land, they get sued by big agri. The whole story is told in "The Future of Food," movie. It is available online at google video or you tube.

Organic food by law cannot be genetically modified. If one has health issues, pesticides _might_ do damage to the immune system, as some of them also act as estrogen mimicers in the body and others damage the nervous system. (Some pesticides work on insects reproductive system and some are neurological.) There is investigation going on into the link between ingesting large amounts of pesticides to Parkinson's disease. It is true that there are minute quantities of pesticides in any given food, but when we add up all the food/drink we eat that contains pesticides and then look at the big picture, we may not realize how much we are ingesting. Of course they are generally recognized as safe, but I'm not convinced. 

Fresh Edamame as far as I know, should be fine in moderation, but as with any food that can play around with hormones, imo, it is always best to limit them. I'm sorry I don't know how much or how little you should eat. Maybe you could do some research and then let us know. (I don't eat any soy at all. It doesn't agree with me.)
[/B][/QUOTE]

I also suggest watching "Food, Inc." as it touches on the same topics. It also discusses the effects on our food from all the animals eating corn. I read ALL the labels now and try to shop locally as much as possible. 

I have heard though, that not all foods labeled as "organic" are truly organic. I honestly dont trust labels half the time, even if I read the ingredients, just because you never know what they are allowed to put. The laws on labeling are fairly liberal from what I understand.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (BrookeB676 @ Nov 12 2009, 09:55 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850337


> QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 07:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850303





> QUOTE (shanghaimomma @ Nov 12 2009, 07:01 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850288





> I don't drink soy milk (I do use rice milk in my cereal because I don't like the taste of milk so much) but I do eat a lot of (fresh) edamame beans...and while I do not agree at all with shady advertising, $1M is not really a lot to spend on lobbying. Also I like organic products but I also recognize there is also a trendiness factor in "organic' or "bio-xxx" advertising, whether in the US or Europe-or elsewhere. Just because something is organic still doesn't make it good necessarily either.
> 
> I've too read that soy can increase estrogen but I wonder how much soy actually is required for levels to increase, be noticeable or even dangerous?[/B]




I do agree completely that there is a huge trendiness to organic, but as someone who has eaten organic way back when it was called "hippie" food, I can tell you that genetic modification of foods is a big concern now on many levels. There are too many unknowns associated with it, not enough independent testing, and it is killing our smaller farmers as genetically modified seeds are patented and small farmers are being put out of business as they can no longer save their own seeds and if genetically modified seeds blow on their land, they get sued by big agri. The whole story is told in "The Future of Food," movie. It is available online at google video or you tube.

Organic food by law cannot be genetically modified. If one has health issues, pesticides _might_ do damage to the immune system, as some of them also act as estrogen mimicers in the body and others damage the nervous system. (Some pesticides work on insects reproductive system and some are neurological.) There is investigation going on into the link between ingesting large amounts of pesticides to Parkinson's disease. It is true that there are minute quantities of pesticides in any given food, but when we add up all the food/drink we eat that contains pesticides and then look at the big picture, we may not realize how much we are ingesting. Of course they are generally recognized as safe, but I'm not convinced. 

Fresh Edamame as far as I know, should be fine in moderation, but as with any food that can play around with hormones, imo, it is always best to limit them. I'm sorry I don't know how much or how little you should eat. Maybe you could do some research and then let us know. (I don't eat any soy at all. It doesn't agree with me.)
[/B][/QUOTE]

I also suggest watching "Food, Inc." as it touches on the same topics. It also discusses the effects on our food from all the animals eating corn. I read ALL the labels now and try to shop locally as much as possible. 

I have heard though, that not all foods labeled as "organic" are truly organic. I honestly dont trust labels half the time, even if I read the ingredients, just because you never know what they are allowed to put. The laws on labeling are fairly liberal from what I understand.
[/B][/QUOTE]


Look for a greeen and white label: Certified USDA Organic. It's _usually_ a good indicator.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Food, Inc is a great movie. I think it's out on DVD now and available to rent.


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 06:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850276


> QUOTE (Canada @ Nov 12 2009, 01:40 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850259





> QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 10 2009, 10:06 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=849524





> Men should be careful with consuming soy as the plant sterols in it mimic estrogen in the body.[/B]



Very interesting. I was actually going to post the same thing about the mimicing of estrogen (Allthough I didn't know the 'plant sterols' part  )

I was told by my doctor to cut out the soy for that same reason and I am female. I used to eat soybeans dried, eat soy butter on my toast, and drink lots of soy milk, every flavour. Now I have switched to rice milk. As I don't drink cow milk, I needed something for my cereal.
[/B][/QUOTE]

I used to drink soy milk years ago and my gyn told me to stop. I use coconut milk. It's yummy.
[/B][/QUOTE]

I don't really like the taste of rice milk (or soy products, actually) so I've been using almond milk.

Hey, Michael Jackson used to drink it too!


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## BrookeB676 (Oct 17, 2004)

QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 10:54 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850399


> QUOTE (BrookeB676 @ Nov 12 2009, 09:55 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850337





> QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 07:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850303





> QUOTE (shanghaimomma @ Nov 12 2009, 07:01 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850288





> I don't drink soy milk (I do use rice milk in my cereal because I don't like the taste of milk so much) but I do eat a lot of (fresh) edamame beans...and while I do not agree at all with shady advertising, $1M is not really a lot to spend on lobbying. Also I like organic products but I also recognize there is also a trendiness factor in "organic' or "bio-xxx" advertising, whether in the US or Europe-or elsewhere. Just because something is organic still doesn't make it good necessarily either.
> 
> I've too read that soy can increase estrogen but I wonder how much soy actually is required for levels to increase, be noticeable or even dangerous?[/B]




I do agree completely that there is a huge trendiness to organic, but as someone who has eaten organic way back when it was called "hippie" food, I can tell you that genetic modification of foods is a big concern now on many levels. There are too many unknowns associated with it, not enough independent testing, and it is killing our smaller farmers as genetically modified seeds are patented and small farmers are being put out of business as they can no longer save their own seeds and if genetically modified seeds blow on their land, they get sued by big agri. The whole story is told in "The Future of Food," movie. It is available online at google video or you tube.

Organic food by law cannot be genetically modified. If one has health issues, pesticides _might_ do damage to the immune system, as some of them also act as estrogen mimicers in the body and others damage the nervous system. (Some pesticides work on insects reproductive system and some are neurological.) There is investigation going on into the link between ingesting large amounts of pesticides to Parkinson's disease. It is true that there are minute quantities of pesticides in any given food, but when we add up all the food/drink we eat that contains pesticides and then look at the big picture, we may not realize how much we are ingesting. Of course they are generally recognized as safe, but I'm not convinced. 

Fresh Edamame as far as I know, should be fine in moderation, but as with any food that can play around with hormones, imo, it is always best to limit them. I'm sorry I don't know how much or how little you should eat. Maybe you could do some research and then let us know. (I don't eat any soy at all. It doesn't agree with me.)
[/B][/QUOTE]

I also suggest watching "Food, Inc." as it touches on the same topics. It also discusses the effects on our food from all the animals eating corn. I read ALL the labels now and try to shop locally as much as possible. 

I have heard though, that not all foods labeled as "organic" are truly organic. I honestly dont trust labels half the time, even if I read the ingredients, just because you never know what they are allowed to put. The laws on labeling are fairly liberal from what I understand.
[/B][/QUOTE]


Look for a greeen and white label: Certified USDA Organic. It's _usually_ a good indicator.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Typically I do look for that, but I'm still trying to decide if I trust the USDA  Nevertheless, I know that "certified USDA organic" is better than nothing. Everything meat I need must be grass fed vs. corn. Anyways, I really recommend Food, Inc. It doesn't scare you or anything, just kind of shows you reality.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

QUOTE (BrookeB676 @ Nov 12 2009, 01:32 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850454


> QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 10:54 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850399





> QUOTE (BrookeB676 @ Nov 12 2009, 09:55 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850337





> QUOTE (Nikki's Mom @ Nov 12 2009, 07:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850303





> QUOTE (shanghaimomma @ Nov 12 2009, 07:01 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=850288





> I don't drink soy milk (I do use rice milk in my cereal because I don't like the taste of milk so much) but I do eat a lot of (fresh) edamame beans...and while I do not agree at all with shady advertising, $1M is not really a lot to spend on lobbying. Also I like organic products but I also recognize there is also a trendiness factor in "organic' or "bio-xxx" advertising, whether in the US or Europe-or elsewhere. Just because something is organic still doesn't make it good necessarily either.
> 
> I've too read that soy can increase estrogen but I wonder how much soy actually is required for levels to increase, be noticeable or even dangerous?[/B]




I do agree completely that there is a huge trendiness to organic, but as someone who has eaten organic way back when it was called "hippie" food, I can tell you that genetic modification of foods is a big concern now on many levels. There are too many unknowns associated with it, not enough independent testing, and it is killing our smaller farmers as genetically modified seeds are patented and small farmers are being put out of business as they can no longer save their own seeds and if genetically modified seeds blow on their land, they get sued by big agri. The whole story is told in "The Future of Food," movie. It is available online at google video or you tube.

Organic food by law cannot be genetically modified. If one has health issues, pesticides _might_ do damage to the immune system, as some of them also act as estrogen mimicers in the body and others damage the nervous system. (Some pesticides work on insects reproductive system and some are neurological.) There is investigation going on into the link between ingesting large amounts of pesticides to Parkinson's disease. It is true that there are minute quantities of pesticides in any given food, but when we add up all the food/drink we eat that contains pesticides and then look at the big picture, we may not realize how much we are ingesting. Of course they are generally recognized as safe, but I'm not convinced. 

Fresh Edamame as far as I know, should be fine in moderation, but as with any food that can play around with hormones, imo, it is always best to limit them. I'm sorry I don't know how much or how little you should eat. Maybe you could do some research and then let us know. (I don't eat any soy at all. It doesn't agree with me.)
[/B][/QUOTE]

I also suggest watching "Food, Inc." as it touches on the same topics. It also discusses the effects on our food from all the animals eating corn. I read ALL the labels now and try to shop locally as much as possible. 

I have heard though, that not all foods labeled as "organic" are truly organic. I honestly dont trust labels half the time, even if I read the ingredients, just because you never know what they are allowed to put. The laws on labeling are fairly liberal from what I understand.
[/B][/QUOTE]


Look for a greeen and white label: Certified USDA Organic. It's _usually_ a good indicator.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Typically I do look for that, but I'm still trying to decide if I trust the USDA  Nevertheless, I know that "certified USDA organic" is better than nothing. Everything meat I need must be grass fed vs. corn. Anyways, I really recommend Food, Inc. It doesn't scare you or anything, just kind of shows you reality.
[/B][/QUOTE]


I'll reserve my opinion of the USDA.....However I think the products that carry their organic label probably will do their best to comply, as the Food Nazis have the power to shut them down.

I also only eat grass fed. It tastes much better and not only does it have great health benefits, it's a much cleaner product, bacteria-wise.


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