Caught: Fake Organic Certificates from China

[marmar]

from Civil Eats:




China has a reputation for producing knock-offs of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton purses and BMW cars. Add organic food and wine to the list of faux products.

In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a report citing a company in southern China’s ZhongShan district for falsifying an organic food certificate and seeking to export their non-organic soybeans, buckwheat and millet as organic products. The fake certification was brought to the USDA’s attention when French organic certifying company Ecocert contacted USDA officials.

On March 24, the USDA caught another company using a fraudulent organic certificate for brown sugar in Johannesburg, South Africa. In both incidents, the USDA found no evidence that the sugar or soybeans ever made it to market. Still, they could prompt consumers to question the validity and trustworthiness of food labels, particularly for imported organic food.

“If you’re not there watching how the food is produced and processed, there is always the unknown,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization. “We push for high standards for organics, but to make it meaningful, we need systems of enforcement.” ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://civileats.com/2011/04/04/caught-fake-organic-certificates-from-china%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/

[xchrom]

1. GASP! -- quelle shock! nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Important to note what foods we get from China:

The USDA estimates that 60 percent of apple juice consumed in the U.S. is imported from China.
Other major Chinese imports include garlic, instant coffee, dried and canned vegetables and fruit.

Jeez, don't we produce anything here???????????????

[Taverner]

3. Not sure they're still doing this but...

With garlic there was a time when we grew it here, sent it off to China to process it, and then sent back here

Anything to not have to pay workers a decent salary, no?

[nc4bo]

6. Jesus.

Why are we importing so much? Or is it that we also export much of our own products to keep the new global economy's wheels well oiled?

[bluecoat_fan]

8. debt

[truedelphi]

12. And Florida orange juice is now

Coming to us via Brazil.

The workers there are able to pick oranges for much cheaper than Florida pickers, even with a 20cents on the pound tariff.

[efhmc]

4. Why one would allow anything that cooks food or is food

that is from China into ones mouth or into the mouths of those one loves is beyond me. Trust the real foodies to ferret this one out.

[nc4bo]

9. Now we have organic knock-off food same as Coach handbags and Gucci shoes

Some agency is either deliberately looking the other way, asleep at the wheel or severely understaffed when this stuff comes stateside.

Except the only way a consumer can determine where a food comes from is *?* A label? Fake labels, no way to really know.

[DainBramaged]

5. Lead paint on toys, melamine poisoning, does this shock anyone?

:shrug:

[Renew Deal]

7. Reminds me of this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ31Ljd9T_Y

[madrchsod]

10. i think there`s a very very very large retailer- grocery chain

that is importing sub standard food from god knows where and selling it a a great deal to it`s shoppers.

has anyone ever seen olives that were the color of faded light green?

i always look at the label or the imprint on the container. if it has the word china i do`t buy it.

[bvar22]

11. Don't be shocked,

...but your local Farmers market can be just as bad....maybe worse.
Some small scale farmers will use MORE pesticides than a commercial farm, especially if a crop is threatened,
and then look you in the face and say, "Yeah man, ALL my stuff is "organic".


The only way to know for SURE is to grow your own.

[Luminous Animal]

18. That is why, in California, I look for the CCOF certification.

The organizations standards and methods are far more rigorous than both state and federal certification.

http://www.ccof.org/about.php

[WatsonT]

13. It's China. Be happy it wasn't filled with melamine or lead.

[XemaSab]

14. How do you know it isn't?

:shrug:

[WatsonT]

16. Good point.

[WatsonT]

15. del

[Ezlivin]

17. Because organic vegetables naturally glow in the dark

That fruit bowl on your table can double as a night-light if you fill with genuine organic fruit from China!

And when you're ready for that first colonoscopy, your doctor doesn't need to use the x-ray machine.

Save money, save time: Buy Chinese!

[eppur_se_muova]

19. That took longer than expected. nt