The proposed American organic standards will directly affect New Zealand consumers as many NZ wholefood shops stock processed foods from the USA.

Our Society recognises the dangers posed by foods laced with pesticides (that have been safety tested on animals). The differences between the species make any data from vivisection misleading at best and dangerous at worst.

"Results from animal tests are not transferable between species, and therefore cannot guarantee product safety for humans… In reality these tests do not provide protection for consumers from unsafe products, but rather are used to protect corporations from legal liability."
- Herbert Gundersheimer M.D., Baltimore, Maryland, USA

"It is well-known that animal effects are often totally different from the effects in people. This applies to substances in medical use as well as substances such as 2,4,5-y and dioxin."
- A.L. Cowan, Acting Medical Officer of Health, New Plymouth, New Zealand NZ Listener, 31 August 1985, page 10.

It is important that our members, as well as the public at large, have access to organic food of a high quality. Thus we submit that organic foods should not include foods that are genetically engineered, irradiated or grown on top of toxic sludge.