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Following NaturalNews's original story about the Almond Board of California launching plans to falsely label pasteurized almonds as raw, the organization changed its story in emails being sent to consumers, and now claims the rules have nothing to do with the actual labeling of almonds.

When NaturalNews first contacted the Almond Board of California on April 4th, we received a letter from the organization that stated, "As is the case with many other foods treated for safety, raw almonds that have been pasteurized do not differ in any significant way from untreated raw almonds, and therefore are still sold as "raw" under Food & Drug Administration (FDA) labeling regulations."

After our story ran, the Almond Board changed its response to consumer emails. The new response is a direct contradiction of their original letter and now states, "We understand there have been questions whether the industry pasteurization program has consumer labeling implications. These new industry regulations do not pertain to consumer labeling. Manufacturers and retailers will continue to determine how to label their products in line with FDA regulations."

My own interview notes, recorded on April 4th in a phone conversation with the Almond Board's Marsha Venable include the following quote, verbatim:

"The almond board understands there is an outcry, but we maintain that the quality of the [pasteurized] almond is substantially the same as it is raw."

It seems as if the Almond Board of California, now feeling the heat from consumers who are becoming increasingly informed about the issue, is stepping back from its original position, or at least rephrasing it in more pleasing language. Notice that there is still no statement whatsoever from the Almond Board that says these pasteurized almonds will be accurately labeled as "pasteurized". The organization simply claims the almonds will be labeled, "in line with FDA regulations." Of course, those regulations may or may not be honest.

Why won't the Almond Board of California simply announce that pasteurized almonds will be labeled "pasteurized?" Why is this simple truth such a difficult thing for the organization to publicly support?

For your reference, here are the two letters received from the Almond Board of California: One on April 4th, and the second modified version on April 6th. (Bolding has been added for emphasis.)

April 4th letter from the Almond Board

The Almond Board of California, representing the California almond industry, has consumers’ health and safety as its number one priority as it implements an industry-wide pasteurization program. The purpose of this plan is to ensure that consumers are provided with safe, wholesome food products.

ABC, which spends more than $2 million annually on nutrition and food safety research, is proactively addressing the issues and needs of the consumer. The industry participated in a public process while creating this plan, inviting input and addressing the concerns expressed by consumers, customers and industry members. The process included a public comment period, managed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA considered all comments before making the pasteurization rule final.

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