Can USDA-Approved “Organic” Labels be Trusted?

Monday, July 06, 2009

As the fastest growing segment of the food industry, organic products now constitute a $23 billion a year market, thanks to half of the adult U.S. population buying organic some of or all the time. But flip-flopping by the federal government is starting to cause the branding of “organic” to lose its validity, experts warn.

 
Only three years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture banned synthetic additives from organic baby formula because they violated federal standards for products carrying the organic label. But now almost all organic baby formula carries the same additives, after a USDA official, Barbara Robinson, succumbed to lobbying by formula makers and overruled department experts.
 
This decision is just one among a handful by the USDA that have allowed companies to use the green-and-white “USDA Organic” seal on products that contain non-organic ingredients. These include grated organic cheese that has wood starch in it to prevent clumping, organic beer made from non-organic hops, and organic mock duck that contains a synthetic ingredient to give it an authentic quality.
 
The USDA inspector general’s office is now investigating whether products carrying the label meet national standards, and if the department is doing an adequate job of overseeing private certifiers hired by farmers and food producers to stamp their products “organic.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
Purity of Federal 'Organic' Label Is Questioned (by Kimberly Kindy and Lyndsey Layton, Washington Post)
National Organic Program (United States Department of Agriculture)

Comments

Organic Trade Association 15 years ago
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and its members are organic advocates. We believe in, support, and advocate for the integrity of the organic label and strict enforcement of federal organic standards because this is fundamental to living up to the contract with consumers who choose or who are considering choosing organic products. Contrary to what is stated in the Washington Post article, the federal organic standards have not been “relaxed.” Rigorously enforced standards can and do go hand-in-hand with growth. The author and those pitching this story have generously borrowed the rhetorical technique of setting up a false choice. The industry and OTA pushed for national organic regulations that consumers could rely on. Organic agriculture and products remain the most strictly regulated, as well as the fastest growing, food system in the United States today. Built into the organic system is a very specific process that materials must go through before they are permitted for inclusion in organic products. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a citizen advisory board, consists of four farmer/growers, two handlers/processors, one retailer, one scientist, three consumer/public interest advocates, three environmentalists, and one USDA-accredited certifying agent. These volunteers assist the Secretary of Agriculture with the overall implementation of the National Organic Program (NOP. NOSB conducts an extensive review of materials that are petitioned for inclusion in organic, solicits public comment, and makes a recommendation to NOP as to whether a material should be allowed. The NOP implements NOSB’s recommendation. This process ensures that materials are not haphazardly permitted for use in organic production and reinforces the principles of transparency and integrity around which the organic system was built.

Leave a comment