Organic Rules expected in mid-december

Natural Business sources indicate that the long-awaited standards for organic foods will be released in mid-December, with the rumored 600-page document being entered into the Federal Register on Dec. 16. One source says USDA Secretary Dan Glickman will release the regulations at a press conference scheduled for Dec. 11. Consumer and trade groups opposed to any weakening of the standards to accommodate genetic engineering and the use of antibiotics and hormones in organic meat production, among other issues, are expected to mount organized protests once the rules are released.