RAW ALMONDS: NOW AN ENDANGERED SPECIES

Organic almonds have never been associated with the deadly disease, so why do ALL almonds - including organic have to be pasteurized?

The industry was not confident that the bacteria phobic masses could tell between a raw and processed almond, so the law did a clean sweep and included them all. But the FDA's pasteurization methods involve the use of propylene oxide, a former insecticidal fumigant and racing fuel that is banned in many countries throughout the world and is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen.

Other suggested methods of pasteurization have included steam pasteurization, which any good raw foodist knows paralyzes enzyme activity and sucks out much of the nutrient content. The FDA has, of course, disregarded the claims that steam pasteurization can harm the nutritional integrity of the almond and has insisted the technologies used for pasteurizing almonds such as propylene oxide have been used in the industry for years.This is why many of us have turned to the raw organic almond.

Even scarier, the law slid very quietly into place with little public notification. For many of us, it may already be too late to tell what we are buying as the [pasteurized almonds available in the marketplace will still be labeled as raw almonds.

Almonds have enjoyed many years of good press, linked to all sorts of extraordinary health benefits from a slimmer waistline and more glowing complexion to the prevention of cancer and improved cardiovascular health etc...

Sarma Melngailis, Living Raw Food, page 33, Harper Collins Publishers, Copyright 2009