Tom’s
of Maine, the popular maker of a variety of natural and organic
body care products, has been bought out by the Colgate-Palmolive
Company for $100 million. Although in past years Tom’s of Maine
has made negative comments about Colgate’s use of artificial ingredients
in its toothpastes, co-founder Tom Chappell claims "We have
a commitment from Colgate that our formulas will not be tampered
with." Colgate says it can help Tom’s of Maine increase sales
and distribution in the current fast-growing $3 billion US market
for natural oral-care and personal products. /old_articles/bodycare/toms060326.cfm
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The National Academy of Sciences has released a report indicating
that the current legal levels of fluoride in drinking water are
dangerous and should be lowered. Although the U.S. government
states that only 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter of
drinking water is necessary to help prevent tooth decay, up to
four times that amount is present in some municipal water supplies.
Excessive fluoride ingestion is known to weaken bones. The fluoride
debate has raged on for over 60 years, with opponents pointing
to data showing that it’s effective when applied topically but
not ingested. Consumers can learn how much fluoride is in their
tap water by asking their local utility, and most of it can be
removed through filtration. /old_articles/foodsafety/flouride062406.cfm
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This week’s blog by OCA Director Ronnie Cummins focuses on the
Corporate Assault on Organic Standards, and what organic consumers
can do to expand and protect organic agriculture in North America.
Read and share your thoughts: /old_articles/rd/ronnie1.cfm
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