From: alison.lynchferreira@citigroup.com Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 3:23 PM To: MarketingClaim Subject: Comments re: Docket No. LS-05-09 These comments refer to Docket No. LS-05-09: I am writing to oppose the USDA's proposed new definition of "grassfed marketing claims" to to remove room for flexible interpretation of what it should mean. "Grassfed" should remain being defined as 99% grassfed but only in conjunction with the expectation that the bulk of such an animal's nutrition will come from live, green pasture where, according to season, the animal shall predominantly be raised. I am very frustrated and concerned at the efforts taken by the USDA and government to lessen the hard fought efforts that have been made to improve the quality and healthiness of what consumer's eat and what they chose to put their money toward to support. We have already seen the strict guidelines once in place to be deemed "organic" significantly compromised (really hijacked) by big corperate agriculture to cash in on that new demand so they can make a buck by taken shortcuts and selling falsely adveritsed "organic" prodcuts. If they want to reap the benefits of what consumers want, then they should adhere to the strict quality that is desired in order to get it. Stop changing the rules to accommodate corperate America. I am all for the creation of other "labels" to alert people to the various processes involved in producing food to state that they are "al,ost organic quality" or "fed cut grass in a controlled, medicated environment", but changing the historical definition of "organic" and "grassfed" to leave room to change to rules and ultimately mislead consumers is just unethical. The USDA should be taken measures to protect our food system with strict guidlines and to be as transparent as possible to American consumers so they can make informed buying decisions and choose with their own money what they want to buy; instead, the USDA is bending to the pressures of large companies' campaign to loosen the rules so that they can capitalize on consumer demand. Alison Lynch Ferreira Director Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Institutional Equity Sales tel: 212.723.5725 cell: 917.370.0333 fax: 212.723.8973 email: alison.lynchferreira@citigroup.com IM: aplynch27 This communication has been prepared by a member of a sales or trading department of Citigroup and is distributed by or through its locally authorized affiliates. Please go to for other important disclosures. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please delete and do not disclose or make improper use of it, and promptly notify the sender. Electronic messages are not necessarily secure or error-free and can contain viruses, and the sender is not liable for any of these occurrences.