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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2003)
GENESIS continued from page 1 Under the Juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Law, all "very" small businesses must comply with the new anti bacterial require ments by January 2004 unless they sell directly to end users. "We feel we do (sell directly to cus tomers) because we manage and stock every store shelf," Sepp said. "It's just that we are using popular av enues that include other products." Until early September, Genesis' staff thought it had several months to find a solution to its problem. But because the company distributes more than 350,000 units of juice per year — rang ing from pint to half gallon sizes — and it grossed more than $500,000 in one year, it's currently too successful to be considered a "very small" business. "We don't want to operate illegal ly," Sepp said. "But this kind of sword hanging over our heads has affected the company morale." Genesis Juice's process involves washing hand-picked fruits and veg etables, pressing them gendy to pre serve live enzymes and vitamins and bottling and distributing the juice to more than 50 locations in Lane Coun ty and Portland. Although the process currendy does not meet government standards, state agencies that enforce the federal law have yet to receive standard guidelines, Sepp said. The company's reasons for remaining raw stem from the goal to get the most out of the processed fruit Sepp said the cheapest and most common process re quired by the FDA is "flash pasteuriza tion," which involves briefly flowing the juice over a heated surface to kill viruses like E. coli. Despite the short interval of 160-degree heat exposure; the process kills all natural enzymes and many nu r trients inherent in the fruit. Sepp said the new legislation, which resulted in 2001, stemmed from an E. coli outbreak in 1996 when some chil dren and senior citizens fell ill after drinking contaminated Odwalla fruit juices. Odwalla had used "windfallen" ap ples that fell on cow manure-covered fields and inadvertently spread the bac teria because it didn't pasteurize its juices at the time, Sepp said. ~Ihat was the straw that broke the camel's back," Sepp said. "We had a few copy-cat situations reported, but we tested eadi inquiry and got noth ing, which means it wasn't our juice that made those people ill." George Brown — owner of Kiva, a health-food store and Genesis Juice distributor located at 125 W. 11th Ave. — said the closure of Genesis would create more business for Odwalla and mark a sad day for in dependent juice companies. "Basically, if it happens, Genesis will be gone; and Odwalla will rule because it's owned by a huge company like Coca-Cola," he said. "And that would be tragic because (Genesis) is kind of an institution in Eugene" Owned by its employees, Genesis Juice is one of only a handful of co ops that remain since a statewide co op boom more than two decades ago, Sepp said. "We could probably take out a loan and buy basic pasteurizing equipment, but we've always been about fresh, raw juice," she said. Kathee Lavine, owner of Holy Cow Vegetarian Foods, located at 2260 Au gusta St., said Genesis Juice sets a great example of success for strug gling co-ops in Oregon. "Genesis is the only raw juice com pany that packages in glass for recycling purposes and operates as one of the last co-ops in the state," she said. "They re ally are unique in more ways than one" lavine said the FDA's legislation guide Senior Andrew McLaughlin grabs a Genesis Juice at the Holy Cow Cafe before class on Friday. Lauren Wimer Photographer lines seem unnecessary when it comes to Genesis Juice's healthy reputation. "(The FDA) is using a mallet when they should be using a fine tooth comb," she said. "If they shut down Genesis, it would be a tragic loss." Despite concern among retailers, Sepp said she is optimistic because the company is working with a lawyer to find a more direct way to sell to customers and to solidify its stance for federal review next year. "We need to find some common ground on the regulation, and I think we will, "she said. For locations of Genesis Juice dis tributors in Eugene, visit www.efh.org/~genesis/. Contact the business/science/technology reporter at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com. ... Need a job? The ASUO Elections Board ■ may be for you! ■■■■Learn about the democratic process and help organize student elections. Applications available outside Suite 4 EMU 014984 QUESTIONS? Contact Stephanie Day at 346-0629. The ASUO is an affirmative action/equal opportunity/ Americans with Disabilites Act employer (AA/EOE/ADA) DEADLINE: Applications must be returned to the ASIJO Administrative Assistant by 5 pm Wed., October 22nd.
