DENMARK BOWS TO EU PRESSURE AND DITCHES PHTHALATE-BAN
In the world of anti-toxins campaigning, Denmark is heralded as a bit of rock star. It broke ranks with the EU by announcing a ban on two parabens from kids’ items before any other nation on the planet. It then defied the EU again by muscling ahead to outlaw four controversial, plastic-softening phthalates not just from children’s items but from virtually all consumer products.
Until, that is, word got out earlier this month that all phthalate-banning plans have been scrapped.
When Denmark first announced the ban on four phthalates found in a broad range of products in 2012, the environment minister at the time, Ida Auken, said she was done waiting on the EU “when there are such clear risk indications in this area.”
What gives? Pressure from the European Commission, that’s what. Denmark had said it was prepared to take the matter to court, but a recent ruling on a comparable case made mandatory repeal of Denmark’s phthalate law likely.
Denmark’s current enviro minister says it’s now linking arms with other Eurozone countries to keep pushing for tougher regs. If Europe’s going to maintain its rep as a global leader on toxins, it had better hurry up and get out of Denmark’s way.
EDEN FOODS COOKS UP BIRTH CONTROL BATTLE
What do you look for in a can of beans? An organic seal, maybe a “BPA-free” sticker telling you the lining is free of harmful substances. What most Whole Foodies and Crunchy Betty’s may not be browsing for is a can of worms – of the American religious-politico variety.
If you do your grocery-buying in the organic food aisle, chances are you already own a stash of Eden products. As purportedly the oldest natural food brand in America, the multi-million-dollar company has long been a trusted source of organic canned goods and soy bevvies. It’s now getting a much less wholesome rep for trying to squash employee access to birth control coverage.
Last year, Eden, headed by devout Catholic CEO Michael Potter, sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, claiming Obamacare was violating its religious freedom by mandating that employee health insurance cover birth control pills, charging that contraception and abortifacients “almost always involve immoral and unnatural practices.” A boycott ensued.
An appeal court shot the case down in the fall, but the tide has since shifted. On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a craft store chain in a suit similar to Eden’s.
