, Author at Organic Food Lovers

What is organic food

Organic Food

Organic food is defined as any food that is produced without using any chemicals, either in its production or processing.

This can include the following areas.

What happens during the growing of organic food

To grow organic food there are no chemical fertilizers applied to the soil, either as a chemical nutrient source, or to destroy perceived pests.

Adding chemical fertilizers to the soil can destroy the natural structure and pH of the soil. When super phosphate, a widespread chemical fertilizer, is added to soil it lowers the pH of the soil. That is, the soil becomes quite acidic, and many soil minerals are not available for plant uptake at low pH.

During the growing process a range of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides may be used in conventional growing. All of these chemicals can be detrimental to the health of people and the growing ecosystem as a whole. Some insecticides not only kill insects that are thought to be pests, but they also destroy many beneficial insects as well. Beneficial insects like bees, are very sensitive to a range of chemical insecticides.

There is also a lot of scientific data which has been gathered over long periods of time, to suggest that we as humans do better without the chemicals added to crops during conventional growing. We have evolved to prosper just by eating pure organic food.

This is why there are so many advantages to producing and eating organic food.

Organic food production seeks to work with natural ecosystems. If we look at nature we see many ways nature uses to produce great tasting and very healthy food.

Harvesting

If we look at modern agriculture, we see that it aims to have a huge range of food on supermarket shelves for most of the year. Most food is produced seasonally, which means that we shouldn’t see oranges at the store all year. To have oranges on the shelves all year they have usually been treated with a variety of chemicals. These chemicals can penetrate the skin of the fruit, and also remain on the skin. When we handle the fruit we are exposed to whatever was used for preservation.

This is a very good reason to eat fresh seasonal food that has just recently been harvested. The best organic food comes from what you grow in your own backyard, or what you buy from a local organic producer who has just picked his crop.

The nutritional advantages of organic food

Lots of research has been published, to support the fact that organically grown food has higher nutritional value. Of particular importance is the presence of increased levels of many micronutrients. Lots of micronutrients are very important for optimal health. It’s useful to remember that the quality of our food determines the quality of our life.

High inherent energy in organic food

It is not only the organic nutrients in our food that are important, it is also the energy that is found in fresh organic food. All matter contains it’s own innate energy which is vitally important for maximum health. The very best food energy comes from food that has been produced organically, and consumed as close as possible to it’s source of production. Another good reason to only eat seasonal food.

To live a long healthy life it’s so important to feed our bodies fresh, seasonal organic food.

Why Organic Food Costs More

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This is probably the most contentious issue when it comes to any kind of organic product. Why does it always cost more than conventional? Shouldn’t something grown or raised with fewer chemical additives also cost less? This question doesn’t just come up for organic food, but also clothing, cleaning and paper products and any other household items. Why does organic cost more?

There are several reasons for this, all linked together.

When you grow any kind of produce (or raise livestock for that matter) you are going to reduce your losses by using chemicals. Whether its pesticides to repel insects, or antibiotics to keep animals healthy. These things are done to provide the farmer with the least amount of loss each season. When you take that away, losses will typically go up which means their profit goes down. Good rigorous organic techniques can help but its not always enough. This means that growers and farmers have to charge more for their wares.

Along with this is that it will take more time to manage crops without the added protection you’d get from the chemicals. Using natural pesticides usually means they need to be applied more often, for example. Trying to manage weeds without herbicides can take a lot of time as well. All of this means that it costs more in manpower hours to produce a crop. Again, that raises the price.

Artificial fertilizers will greatly boost the productivity of crop plants, so an organic farmer will end up with a smaller harvest when compared to a conventional farmer. So for an acre of planting, the organic farmer may end up with less even if they are able to keep the insects at bay.

And you can’t forget the age-old concepts of supply and demand. Since the demand for organic products is small (ironically, it’s small because of the cost in most cases), farmers have to charge more to earn a living from the smaller number of sales.

As more and more people are choosing organic foods, the costs will come down due to the increased demand. Manufacturers are able to reduce their costs when producing anything in larger quantities, and the same goes for most organic food products though not necessarily for actual whole fruits and vegetables themselves. But overall, the greater the production level, the lower the costs will be.

The costs should also come down as more farmers investigate organic growing concepts and get better and utilizing them instead of resorting to sprays. The learning curve isn’t too steep but it can take a while for the ideas to develop and improve enough to become as productive as old conventional methods.

All of these reasons work together to create an environment where organic foods cost more. Thankfully, the demand is still growing which will slowly but surely improve the market and costs will naturally come down to where it will make sense to buy organic whenever you can.

Organic Wine

Beverages

Wine is a very common drink used by many people throughout the globe. It is available in great varieties, each wine having its own unique taste. With the increased interest in organic food, many people are now creating businesses producing and selling organic wines.

What is organic wine

Organic wine is produced from grapes which are grown in a natural environment free of any fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides. Organic wine is preferred because of its health benefits, in comparison to more conventionally produced wines. Lots of people use organic wine because they feel that organic foods are more nutritious and tasty, and more healthy than conventionally produced foods.

Every year 1500 to 2000 organic wines are produced throughout the world. In conventional agriculture, various chemicals are used to increase the productivity and these chemicals are absorbed by the roots of the plant which ultimately affect the final product. This chemical activity can affect the structure of the soil, and may percolate into the ground water underlying the vineyard. There are government regulations in many countries, which regulate the whole process of organic wine-making, thus protecting the health of people and safeguarding the environment from potential toxic chemicals

Natural wine making

Many people think that organic wine is another name for natural wine. Although these two types of wines are very similar, there are some differences in their production methods. Organic wine making does not use chemicals to grow the grapes, but it may use micro oxygenation, reverse osmosis, and excessive filtration during the processing of the grapes to make wine.

On the other hand, natural wine making is the purest form of wine making, using only unadulterated fermented grape juice. The grapes are first grown using either organic or bio dynamic methods, and then they are picked by hand rather than by machinery. After picking there is some squashing to produce juice, which then sits in large vats. Whilst in the vats, natural yeasts from the air and the grape skins, will start the process of natural fermentation. During this process there is nothing added, such as oak flavors, or sugar etc. The resultant product contains only the original organic grapes.

Large scale organic wine production

As a result of the increased interest in growing wine organically, and the health benefits associated with organic production, the number of large scale organic vineyards is always increasing.

Due to the environmentally friendly production method, organic wine has been supported by leading people of the world.

Prince Charles says that: “It is vitally important that we can continue to say, with absolute conviction, that organic farming delivers the highest quality, best-tasting food, produced without artificial chemicals or genetic modification, and with respect for animal welfare and the environment, while helping to maintain the landscape and rural communities.”

It is enlightening that some world leaders are promoting the production of organic food. I guess it really is just reintroducing food production as it was 70 – 80 years ago, before the large scale manufacture of agricultural chemicals. We are going the full circle, reusing organic “waste” as a useful input with lots of value.

Sulfites for preservation

Sulfites may be used in both organic and natural wine production. They are added as a preservative and a stabilizer. The amount used in natural wine production is very small. In fact some natural wine makers don’t use any sulfites in their products at all.

For organic wine production there may be a few different categories, depending on the amount of sulfites used in their manufacture.

The first type of organic wine is called 100% organic as it is made purely from organic grapes, grown organically and there is no sulfite added to the product:
If there is a small amount of sulfite added, then it is called 95% pure;
The third category of wine is called 70% pure. It contains organic grapes, but there may be sulfites and other chemicals added during fermentation.

It is always best to read the label on any product that you are going to eat or drink, so you know exactly what you are going to consume. You can then make an informed decision about your purchase. With all food the best quality will always be 100% organic.

Health benefits

There is some discussion about the health benefits of red wine, however the scientific data to support this theory is very limited. The skin of red grapes contains an antioxidant called resveratrol which may improve heart health. However to get enough resveratrol from wine may require drinking large amounts of wine. This large amount of alcohol is certainly not good for the body.

Preserving and Storing the Organic Way

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Since buying or growing organic produce tends to be a seasonal affair, you will want to be able to preserve your fruits and vegetables to use later in the year. There are several great food preservation methods that you can use to keep food for many months, all still retaining the organic standards you are looking for. The most common are canning, freezing and drying.

Canning

Canning is a bit of a misnomer since you are really storing your food in glass jars rather than cans. You can can things like pickles and tomatoes (high acidity) foods in just a boiling water bath but for all other foods, you will need to invest in a pressure canner. Food is packed into proper canning jars, made by Ball or Mason (not old jam jars) and heated under pressure long enough to kill any bacteria. When they are removed from the canner and cooled, a vacuum is created which seals down the lids.

This is how many past generations preserved their foods and though it takes more work than these other methods, the sealed jars can be stored anywhere once finished. Your food retains much of its nutrients but the texture will be softer since everything you can gets a good cooking in the canner.

Freezing

Freezing is the simplest method here but does require the ongoing use of your freezer to keep everything nicely frozen. This can be a problem if your home is subject to power outages. Some vegetables can just be cleaned up and frozen just as-is but you will get better preservation if you blanch most first. That’s a quick bath is boiling hot water to stop the natural enzyme actions that would degrade your food, even in the freezer. When thawed, your food will be the closest to fresh of most preservation methods.

For large gardens, you may need to invest in a second chest freezer if you want to use this method to preserve most of your harvest.

Drying

Drying is not ideal for all your fruits and veggies but it can be a great option to use as part of your overall preservation plan. Like canning, you can stored your finished foods without any special conditions (unlike freezing). All you need is a dehydrator, which isn’t much more than a small heater with a fan. Most commercial dehydrators will hold several trays of sliced food and have them thoroughly dry in an afternoon or overnight. For large harvests, you will want a large unit or even build your own drying racks.

Food that is dried for preservation needs to be completely dry or it can become moldy while in storage. Depending on the type of food, that can be tough and leathery or even dry enough to snap when bent. The food will shrink quite a bit once dehydrated making for better storage. The downside is that the consistency of the food once it’s rehydrated isn’t as good as the other methods

None of these methods involving using artificial or chemical preservatives, making them perfect for the organic shopper or gardener.

Reading Organic Labels

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When shopping for organic or healthy foods, do you even know what you should be looking for? Not all labels are created equal and you can easily get fooled into buying something because you think it is healthier than it really is. Knowing how to read a product label is very important when shopping for organic products.

The most important thing you want to look for on a label is the words “organic”. This is the one labeling item that is strictly regulated and has a great deal of meaning behind it. When you see things like “natural”, “all-natural”, “environmentally friendly” or “green” these things may have no meaning at all. That doesn’t mean these products are all scams, but the terms themselves are just marketing concepts and may not reflect a truly authentic statement about the product.

Single ingredient food items, such as eggs, fruit or vegetables are either organic or they’re not. It’s pretty simple. But processed food products that have many ingredients can have various levels of “organic-ness” and have to be labeled accordingly.

Any product that is completely organic can be labeled as “100% organic” but if it has 5% or less non-organic ingredients then it will be marked as just “organic”. The non-organic ingredients have to be approved by the National Organics Program. Products with 70 to 94% organic ingredients have to be labeled as “made with organic ingredients” and they won’t have the distinctive USDA organic seal. These products can list three of their organic ingredients on their labels though. Anything with less than 70% organic ingredients cannot label themselves as organic.

Now all of this really only applies to food products. Organic standards for non-food products are different. Skin care, cleaning products and clothing have different levels of requirement but are just as regulated for their use of the “organic” claim. You still want to look for that label so you can verify the claims. Always check the ingredients as well.

So what does “organic” really mean? Well, the USDA regulates it and you’ll have to read through several pages to get the full details on what constitutes an organic product. But a quick summary is:

“Organic crops are raised without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. They are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.”

That is what applies to food products. For a company to earn their certification, they have to prove that they have followed these rules for at least 3 years and consent to multiple government inspection. Fines for lying about an organic label can reach $11,000. As you can see, this is a word you can trust.

If you see the organic label, you can trust that product. Anything else will require a little research on your part. Some “all-natural” products truly are filled with healthy and natural ingredients, but you won’t know for sure until you look into it.

Organic Tea Benefits

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With people all around the world becoming more health conscious and learning the detrimental effects of consuming unhealthy foods, almost all kinds of food consumables have natural ingredients today—like tea. Tea has been an everyday beverage since time incarnate. However, with people generally becoming health conscious, the health benefits and disadvantages of tea were discussed, which has created a scenario where healthier and better options of tea are now available, one of them being organic tea.

Organic tea is the tea that is prepared using only natural ingredients and resources. Organic tea is special tea which guards the body against several disorders and offers many better nutrients to the human body.

However, one should keep in mind that organic products like organic foods, organic tea etc. are quite expensive than compared to the other mainstream products, and it becomes very necessary to weigh the advantages of buying the organic products. When it comes to organic tea, there are several organic tea benefits that make buying organic tea an interesting deal.

Basically, the organic tea benefits depend on what ingredients have gone into the cultivation of the tea. However, the most basic organic tea benefit is the increased amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants are the best natural resources that a body can get. Antioxidants are created from a process that is known as oxidative stress.

Oxygen is one of the most important resources needed by the body, but the body loses oxygen because of the natural bodily processes. The antioxidants help the body in many things, right from being an anti-aging product to combating cancer.

Organic tea benefits not only the user but also the farmer. Because the crop is grown in a natural manner, the soil remains stronger for a longer while, and produce is of a higher quality and the soil can remain fertile for a longer time.

Another important organic tea benefit is the boost that it gives to the immune system. Tea has long been known as being a booster shot to the body—that is the reason that one consumes tea or coffee during those long nights of work—but organic tea provides a boost to the immune system, which makes it difficult for the human body to contract viruses and other illnesses.

Organic black tea, prepared with natural methods and having natural ingredients has organic tea benefits like decreasing the risk of cardiovascular issues, prevention of heart issues like a stroke or an attack, and also it prevents some kinds of cancers. Organic black tea has another organic tea benefit, in the sense that the caffeine content is almost fifty percent less, which makes it a much healthier drink as compared to the other beverages available in the market today.

These are several other organic teas that are available in the market, and the organic tea benefits depend on the type of ingredients that are used to prepare the tea. If you are interested in switching over to organic tea, make sure that you read the instructions and the ingredients of the tea, so that you can decide which tea you wish to use.

Start Your Day with Organic Coffee

Beverages

The world is divided between tea drinkers and coffee drinkers, and never the twain shall meet. One complaint that coffee drinkers had is that there were few, if any, organic options that they could consume. While there were a lot of organic teas and natural teas available, there were few organic coffees available. However, coffee drinkers the world over can now rejoice, because there is now a healthier, more nutritious way in which they can consume their favorite beverage—organic coffee.

Organic coffee is the coffee that is created with natural processes. There are no artificial fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides that are used in the cultivation process. Also, the coffee that is prepared in the farms that indulge in soil composting, natural recycling of the soil and other natural activities is considered to be organic coffee.

When you start your day with organic coffee, you take part in a global phenomenon that is only gaining strength with every other user. Organic coffee is normally grown in three manners—shade grown, organic and fair trade—with shade grown being the most prominent way of growing organic coffee. This has increased the number of forests in the world. Also, with the number of organic coffee plantations increase, there is lesser use of artificial pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.

The organic coffee plantations also give a boost to the natural animal life. For example, birds are used as natural pesticides, in the sense that they eat the harmful worms and plants that might harm the coffee crop. Organic coffee plantations also help against soil erosion and preserve the habitat, which makes it a better option not only for the user, but also for Mother Nature in general.

Shade grown coffee is the coffee that is grown under the shades of trees. This is the traditional, natural way of growing coffee. The shade grown coffee procedure created a natural habitat, and also helped increase the habitat for birds and other animals.

Natural growth of coffee has now become more important than ever before. There have been several reports about how to organic coffee is important and the benefits of organic coffee plantations. Today, coffee giants like Starbucks, etc. have been looking at ways to use organic coffee—that is coffee grown in shade plantations instead of sun plantations—and using other natural coffee crop.

The natural way of growing coffee became obsolete in the seventies and eighties, during the Green Revolution, which saw the advent of technology in agriculture, and a yield intensive agriculture process. This created a scenario where sun plantations were given precedence over shade plantations, as it gave a greater quantity of yield.

Today, organic coffee has made its presence felt in most parts of the world. There are several companies and institutions that create organic coffee. If you are looking for companies and institutions that offer organic coffee, a simple search on the Internet will provide you with all the information that you need about organic coffee producers and where you can get natural coffee.

Buying Organic Beef

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Organic food is becoming the need of the day. With the human population poised to reach seven billion soon, it has become a consistent danger to the natural resources. Not only are we using natural resources with abandon, the various cultivation processes are exploiting Mother Nature in ways that have devastating effects, in both the long and short term.

However, with increased ecology awareness, we are now taking steps to make sure that humankind is giving back to Nature as much as it takes from it for their requirements—one of these ways is by creating organic products.

What is organic beef

Today, we can find all kinds of organic products, from baby food to clothes. But more importantly, organic food produce, like organic vegetables, organic coffee and organic beef.

As the name suggests, organic beef is the beef that is produced in a natural manner and without the use of any artificial medications, insecticides, pesticides or fertilizers.

There are several rules and regulations that need to be adhered to, if the producer wants to brand their beef as ‘organic beef’. These rules change from region to region, and there are different organizations and institutions that ensure that the rules are taken care of.

The important rules that a beef producer should ensure is that the animals are born and raised on pasture that is certified as organic. Also, they should ensure that the animals have never received any antibiotics or other chemical medications. They should also ensure that the animals have never received any hormones that might promote growth in an unnatural manner.

Healthy pasture fed beef

The farmer should ensure that the animals are provided with only organic foods, like grains and grasses. Last but not the least; the animals should have unrestricted outdoor access to organic pasture. That is, pasture which has not had chemical fertilizer added to it, or been sprayed with herbicides, fungicides etc.

The best organic beef will not have any grains added to their diet. Cattle are herbivores and have a large rumen to digest grass and small herbs. The digestive system of cattle has not evolved to digest grains effectively. When cattle are fed grain a lot of it will pass straight through their digestive system. Have you ever noticed the grass that sprouts from fresh pats of manure, this is from the undigested grain the animals were fed.

Organic beef free from medications

The most difficult of these rules, is the one that requires that they never receive any antibiotics. The use of antibiotics has become common place in both agriculture and the medical field. In fact in some areas of animal production, antibiotics are added to feed.

In some intensive beef production systems, hormones may also be given to make the cattle grow quicker. Using antibiotics or hormones, is not the best practice for either the health of the animal or for us as consumers.

If beef is raised on managed organic pastures, there should be no need for antibiotics, hormones or any other medications.

Organic beef from birth to plate

Organic beef is not just about giving natural and nutritious food to people, but it’ also about the humane treatment of animals.

The organic and natural production of beef aims to respect the life of the animal for it’s whole life. This includes raising the calf from birth on rich natural pastures, right through to stress free slaughter. It is well known that the meat from stress free beef is much more tender and palatable to eat. Cattle need to be in a very happy place to produce the best quality meat after slaughter.

Health benefits of organic beef

Consuming organic beef has several health advantages for consumers. To begin with organic beef is usually lower in omega 6 fatty acids and higher in omega3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation in the body, so are therefore advantageous for our health.

Grass fed, or organic beef is also richer in nutrients, as compared to other types of beef production. Grass and herbs from a natural pasture will contain more nutrients, and particularly micro nutrients, which end up in the meat of the animal. Ultimately these nutrients will end up in us.

As people are becoming more conscious and informed about the food that they eat, the demand for organic beef is becoming greater.

The very best organic beef you can get, comes from a local farmer who is following all the requirements outlined above. The closer the production is to the consumer, the lower the energy costs involved. And the better for the environment.

What Is Organic Chicken?

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Organic food and organic products are considered to be a very important arsenal in our fight against the exploitation of natural resources for our benefit. Basically, when the term ‘organic’ is added to any product, it means that it is produced in a manner which is not artificial, and no artificial ingredients have been used in the cultivation or preparation.

The organic movement has seen much success, with foods like organic vegetables, crops, etc. and even organic clothes finding their place in the market. With the success it has achieved, it was only right to use the organic concept in other, everyday used consumables, like beverages and meats. Today, there are organic teas, coffees and organic beef and organic chicken.

Organic chicken is the meat that is derived from birds that are grown in humane conditions. Some unscrupulous meat growers have been exploiting the birds by giving them unnatural steroids to enhance their growth, keeping them in inhumane conditions so that they can truss up more birds in a smaller area, etc.

However, when it comes to organic chicken breeding, there are some strict rules and regulations that they need to follow. Using organic chicken is not just beneficial to the animals and nature, but is also better for the end user. Organic chicken is grown and derived in a natural manner, and has no exposure to any kind of artificial foods, ingredients, etc. The chicken that are grown in an organic manner are also fed food that is grown in a natural manner—therefore ensuring that the organic chicken produced finally is of the purest form.

These are, therefore much more beneficial and nutritious than the chicken that is produced in an artificial manner. Apart from nutrients, organic chicken does not have the harmful chemicals and ingredients that are detrimental to the human health. So, organic chicken has come up to be one of the best options for people who wish to enjoy their meats as well as keep an eye on their health.

Meats have long been considered to have some negative effects on the human body, but with meats like organic chicken being prepared, these effects have become minimal.

The organic chicken movement has taken the market by storm, and today there are several multinationals that take their raw meats from organic chicken farms. To find out more about the companies and organizations that provide organic meats, all you need to do is to look over the Internet, most of these companies will have their websites, which will not only provide you with information about what kind of organic products they provide, but will also give you general information about organic products and organic foods.

Organic Fruit and Vegetables vs. Regular Fruit and Vegetables

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Organic fruit and vegetables are gaining popularity in today’s world. A lot of people are giving up their usual farm produce and opting for foods that have been growing naturally, and fruits and vegetables are the most in demand here. So, should you give up your regular groceries and move on to these organic versions too? Here is what you should know.

Organic fruit and vegetables are those that are developed in a completely organic way. This means, these foods are grown in fields which aren’t treated with chemicals in any way. Synthetic fertilizers are not used in these fields. Similarly, these fields are not treated with chemical pesticides, bactericides, fungicides, germicides or any other kind of synthetic substances. Complete care is taken to keep these fruits and vegetables away from coming in contact with chemicals. Even the water that is supplied to these fields is completely pure and devoid of any industrial runoffs or chemical wastes that may be the case with the irrigation water in usual fields.

So, are organic fruits and vegetables better than regular ones? Here are some advantages that you should know about these foods:-

1. Since these foods are completely devoid of synthetic chemicals, they are much safer for the people consuming them. The synthetic additions in usual foods can trigger allergies in some people and reduce their immunity in the long run. Health experts vouch for the benefits of food that is developed in such an entirely natural way.

2. Some people also claim that the fruits that are prepared organically taste better than other fruits and vegetables that are developed with the addition of chemical substances. When developed organically, the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables remain intact. Also, fruits and vegetables that are developed with chemical additives may have a watered down taste. This happens because the chemicals make the organic substances absorb more water from the soil, thus marring their taste. Organic fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, grow in harmony with nature and hence they preserve their taste.

3. An indirect benefit of using only organic fruits and vegetables is that it leads to water conservation. Traditional methods of farming include addition of several chemical substances to the soil, which then enter the water and spoil its quality. Over time, this can pose a grave danger to the environment. However, if the world were to shift towards using completely organic methods for agriculture, this kind of unnatural addition to water would be avoided and help in water conservation.

4. In preparing organic fruits and vegetables, absolutely no genetic engineering is permitted. Hence, these fruits and vegetables are as pure and natural as they can get, without any kind of modification or alteration.

These are the reasons why people feel that organic fruits and vegetables are better than their conventional counterparts. Even though the completely organic processes employed in their development culminate in making these foods a tad bit more expensive, people who are conscious of the environment don’t mind the extra buck they need to pay as long as they feel they are doing something constructive for the environment.

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