• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund

Protecting, defending, and broadening the rights and viability of independent farmers, artisanal food producers, and their consumers.

  • Join
    • Join
    • Member Login
    • Testimonials
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Work With Us
  • Donate
  • News
  • Events
  • RESOURCES
  • Action Alerts

Small Scale Raw Almonds Under Attack in U.S.; European Imports Unregulated

By Alexia Kulwiec | July 19, 2022

Small almond growers in the U.S. have been able to sell raw almonds to customers from roadside stands and through internet sales for some time. This is perfect for consumers who desire the benefits of almonds without the impact of pasteurization. Yet the Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA seeks to change this.

At the moment, these small growers are able to operate exempt from a host of expensive and burdensome regulations and sell raw almonds directly to their customers. Customers report health benefits and improvement of the gut biome from eating raw almonds that do not undergo the pasteurization process.

Large, commercial producers either pasteurize almonds through a chemical or heat pasteurization process. Even if smaller growers were willing to do this, processors demand a volume that small producers cannot meet to treat the product.

The proposed change would likely drive small growers out of business, lead to imported almonds from Europe not subject to the same regulations and deny consumers the health benefit of this simple nutritious product from sustainable growers.

Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund has filed a public comment with the Agricultural Marketing Service objecting to the proposed change.

“Producers should be able to grow and consumers should be able to choose to obtain unpasteurized almonds, from sustainable growers, as part of their health routine,” says FTCLDF Executive Director Alexia Kulwiec. “The USDA wants to prevent distribution of the simple nutritious almond and yes, raw almonds for consumption. FTCLDF is monitoring this rule making and will keep readers informed.”

For more information, or to get involved in protecting food sources from small, sustainable producers and artisan food makers, please visit The Campaign for Raw Food.

Donations to FTCLDF go directly toward helping small, sustainable farms around the country have a voice and protection against government overreach. We invite you to join us as a concerned consumer, cottage food maker, homesteader or small farmer today.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email

This article can be found in: Uncategorized This article is related to: almonds, campaign for raw food, food freedom, food laws, legal, raw food, small farm, small grower

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to receive important food freedom updates delivered to your inbox

Raw Milk Map

State-by-State Raw Milk Laws

Cottage Food Map

Poultry Nation©

Red Meat Nation©

State-by-State Slaughter Laws

Footer

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS Feed
  • Contact Us
  • Login

Defending the rights and broadening the freedoms of family farms and protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient dense foods. Copyright © 2007-2020 · For more information: email: [email protected] · Phone: (703) 208-FARM (3276) · Falls Church, VA Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) The content of this website is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be nor should it be construed as either a legal opinion or as legal advice. Articles posted here do not necessarily represent the views or the position of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.