A lot of nuts, seeds, oils and beans made the list, but there were no fresh produce companies on the newest report of organic operations with fraudulent certifications, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The report, available from the Agriculture Marketing Service, lists seven companies with phony certifications. A fraudulent certificate is not indicative of a crime by itself, but it can bring fines up to $11,000 for each violation.
The Packer's Editorial Board had some thoughts about organic fraud.
Where there’s money to made, it’s no surprise some operators may try to nab the premium organics fetch without paying the price of certifying their operations by the book.
Some good news is that only a few firms related to the fresh produce trade are currently listed on the site.
It is important to keep consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal — and the products bearing the seal — high.
Suspect a company of a violation of organic regulations? You can report them here.