Britain's Organic Food Scam Exposed

[sintax]

Britain's organic food scam exposed

Jamie Doward, Mark Townsend and Andrew Wander
Sunday August 21, 2005
The Observer


Britain's organic food revolution was facing its first serious test last night after an Observer investigation revealed disturbing levels of fraud within the industry.

Farmers, retailers and food inspectors have disclosed a catalogue of malpractice, including producers falsely passing off food as organic and retailers failing to gain accreditation from independent inspectors. The findings raise concerns that consumers paying high premiums for organic food are being ripped off.

The revelations follow what is believed to have been the UK's first concerted investigation into organic food fraud by trading standards officers. An inquiry for Richmond council, in south-west London, exposed a number of retailers wrongly selling food as organic. Two traders were prosecuted earlier this month as a result of the investigation.

Stephen Sains, a butcher in Richmond, was fined more than £6,000 for falsely labelling food. Andrew Portch, a Somerset farmer, was fined more than £3,000 for food labelling offences and using organic certification without the right accreditation. Portch's firm declined to comment. Sains said he was changing his labelling.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1553438,00.html

[bonito]

1. Rugh row. n/t

[Benhurst]

2. And in America ...

:shrug:

[Chico Man]

4. At least I can get my Heinz Organic Ketchup!

What a rip off.

[niallmac]

5. Are we regulated in this area or as the repugs would say

we don't need no gummint tryin to run things.

[whistle]

3. How likely is this also to be the case here in the U.S. because....

...the organic foods industry basically regulates itself and history shows that self-regulation and large profits almost always fails to deliver what it says it will to the consumers.

[Eloriel]

6. That's not true at all -- VERY old info, and an unnecessary slam too

First, for any product to carry the word "organic" now -- and for the last several years -- it has to be certified as such by the USDA. The poor organic farmer or other producer has to pay the USDA for the necessary inspections, etc., before they get their certification.

You can't use the term organic without it.

However, in MY world, it's NOW that I'm uncomfortable with "organic" because I don't trust the USDA.

[whistle]

8. I think we are saying the same thing....

..."...in MY world, it's NOW that I'm uncomfortable with "organic" because I don't trust the USDA".

I have not trusted the USDA at all since BushCo began their dismantling of all government involvement in consumer interests in preference for business interests. Was this ever adopted by the USDA regarding the use of the term "organic"?

<snip>
USDA Proposal to Define the Term “Organic,” April 30, 1998

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


April 30, 1998
Eileen S. Stommes
Deputy Administrator
USDA-AMS-TM-NOP
Room 4007-So., Ag Stop 0275
PO Box 96456
Washington, DC 20090-6456

REF: USDA Docket No. TMD- 94-00-2/RIN 0581-AA40

Dear Ms. Stommes:

On behalf of the members of The American Dietetic Association (ADA), I am pleased to submit comments and suggestions on U.S. Department of Agriculture's proposed rule: National Organic Program (published in the Federal Register, December 16, 1998, pages 65849-65967).

ADA supports USDA for recognizing the need to provide consumers with a standard definition of the term organic and applauds the agency for addressing this complex and multifaceted issue.

I have asked members of ADA's Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (DPG) to review the proposed rule and their detailed input is attached. The Environmental Nutrition DPG is comprised of nutrition professionals who are concerned with the environment and dedicated to improving modern dietary habits that impact our ecological balance. Should you need further clarification or additional information, please feel free to contact Tracy Fox in ADA's Government Affairs Office at 202/775-8277 or Jeanne Peters of ADA's Environmental Nutrition DPG at 408/425-2704.

The ADA looks forward to being an active participant with USDA in efforts to assure consumers that products labeled as organic meet consistent standards.

<more>
<link> http://www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/98_lg043098.cfm

[sintax]

12. USDA is the sanctioning arm of Agri-Business

A look into who sits in the powerful positions in USDA looks like a who's who of the Agri-Pharma Giants.

Revolving door

Eat local is right. Grow your own groceries if possible.

[meganmonkey]

11. Yep - I worked on an organic farm during the time the USDA

was creating the organic program. It was pathetic the things they wanted to allow. The standards they ended up implementing were much lower than most independent Organic certifiers were using before. And agribusiness is still lobbying to make the standards lower.

CSA is the way to go, for people with access to them.

[Psephos]

25. I'm with you all the way, meganmonkey

For anyone curious about CSA, here's a link. There's a CSA locator link there, too.

http://www.csacenter.org/movement.html

CSA means Community Supported Agriculture, and it removes the agribusiness taint from the supply chain.

Peace.

[Eloriel]

26. Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

Support local agriculture -- organic or at least sustainable (can't use that term "organic"anymore without a LOT of hassle, and no small amount of expense).

[whatelseisnew]

17. National & international standards are important

and, as is the case with any government department, requires scrutiny and public involvement to ensure safe & accurate standards. The Harvey vs. Venemen case is an example of this. The USDA's National Organic Program needs some work but it's a start.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/08/21/build/business/65-farmer-suit.inc

"HARTFORD, Maine - Arthur Harvey, an organic blueberry farmer, lives in a 168-year-old house in the wilderness with an outhouse out back and a rooftop solar panel that he uses to power his computer.
He doesn't care for pesticides or herbicides, believing many of them aren't necessary and possibly are dangerous, and he decries modern plumbing because it fails to recycle the nutrients in human waste, which when composted properly can be turned into fertilizer.
Despite his off-the-grid lifestyle, Harvey has used the most conventional of means to turn the nation's booming organic industry on its head.
Frustrated by the federal rules that govern what foods can be labeled organic, Harvey, representing himself, sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2002. He argued that the regulations were far more lax than the original organic legislation intended. While his lawsuit was tossed out of federal district court, Harvey won several crucial points on appeal earlier this year."

[nosmokes]

7. eat local

Eat Local

start shopping at farmer's markets or better yet, sign up for a CSA, and really get to know where your food comes from and who grows it. it's a kick, and you'll never eat fresher unless you grow it yourself.

[whistle]

9. Local in Florida means eating foods that are grown in highly...

...toxic and polluted land (i.e. mercury, arsenic, hi-tech manufacturing waste, radio active waste, aerospace waste products dump sites, etc.) accumulated over the past 55 years or more. Secret hot spots all over the state used as landfills and spread over thousands of acres of swampland, later drained and used for agriculture while corrupt politicians turn a blind eye.

[nosmokes]

13. check out some CSAs near ya from the link in my post,

not everything is a toxic wasteland in florida, though i sympathise with your plight.

[meganmonkey]

10. I have a CSA share and I love it

I was an apprentice at a CSA in PA for a couple years, an amazing experience. Now nothing tastes good unless it is totally fresh. Yum!

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. BUT - how many still pay more for brown eggs than white eggs?

.
.
.

"The color of the shell--and, for that matter, the color of the yolk--has no bearing on the egg's quality or nutritional value."

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/foods_view/1,1523,98,00.html

A scam still going on in a market near you methinks . . .

AND - get this . . .

"There is one major, MAJOR difference between brown eggs and white eggs.

Brown eggs are brown and white eggs are white.

Does that answer your question?

No? OK then. According to the Egg Nutrition Board (and who should know better?), "White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in taste or nutrition between white and brown eggs." The people at Crisco (who may know even more than the egg nutritionists) go further to say, "They simply come from two different breeds of chickens. Brown eggs, however, are more expensive because the chickens that lay them eat more than those that lay white eggs." Among the breeds that lay brown eggs are the Rhode Island Red, the New Hampshire and the Plymouth Rock--all larger birds that require more food."

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbrowneggs.html

how many grocery lists just got changed ??

[sleipnir]

15. Thank you!

Excellent point.'

And quite true.

[Gormy Cuss]

18. In the U.S. there is also a regional bias on egg color

New Englanders prefer brown eggs because that was the local egg color for many years - note that the three breeds mentioned in your quote all have New England names. The notion was later exploited in an ad campaign because brown eggs at that time did signify a fresher,local egg.

A better test of freshness these days is to buy from a small local egg farm if possible.

[FlaGranny]

19. Not my grocery list -

I buy brown eggs that are free ranged. Free-ranged eggs taste better - the chickens eat more as nature intended. You can also hard boil them and when you peel them, you can tell if you got all the shell. Of course, I know the color of the egg has nothing to do with this with the nutritional value.

The same with free-ranged chickens - they taste different. If fact, they have flavor. Factory raised chickens and eggs are so bland you can hardly taste any flavor at all.

Free range chicken takes me back to my childhood. My uncle had an egg farm back before modern factory farming. I had forgotten the real flavor of chicken and eggs over the years, until I recently discovered a source for "organically" raised chickens and eggs.

Edt: Besides, I feel better knowing that the chickens haven't lived their lives in tiny cages.

[Gormy Cuss]

22. Fresh eggs and free range poultry are better tasting, period.

I support organic farming, free range poultry, and CSAs on a philosophical basis. I eat organic and locally produced food on the basis of superior quality. I agree with you on the flavor difference especially with the meat. The flavor change is even more dramatic with turkey.

[pitohui]

20. this spring i was buying brown eyes significantly cheaper

don't know the reason but for awhile the price of white eggs was exorbitant & i noticed there was no such bump in price for the brown

prices have normalized now & again the white shelled eggs are cheaper

aracaunas are a cute chicken that may also lay green eggs, however, never seen them sold, only bartered for them

[Ratty]

28. How about mushrooms?

I buy brown "Crimini" mushrooms. They're quite a bit more expensive than the white ones. Recently I wondered whether the extra cost was worth it in terms of taste or health. I love my Crimini, just because they're brown, but I don't want to be scammed.

[Maple]

16. 'Fresh' is nice

but it's not the same thing as 'organic'

[pitohui]

21. well all food is organic isn't it

it's all carbon-based

people who charge $4 for 50 cents worth of carrots ought to be ashamed of themselves, as far as i'm concerned

[FlaGranny]

23. Yes, all food is organic -

the difference is that to get the label "organic," a farmer has to refrain from spraying petrochemical insecticides and fertilizers. Petrochemicals are not good for you to eat.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. I saw an intereseting means of organic pest control in Japan

It was an apple orchard where the farmer had tied thin paper bags around all the growing apples.

But the sight also went a long way toward explaining why fruit tends to be so expensive over there.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

29. Depends

Some people don't want to feed their kids chemicals, I guess, and consider that $4 worth it.

[meganmonkey]

30. Certified Organic

doesn't mean carbon-based. Please do a little research before trying to shame people.

Peace

[Name removed]

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