NEWS: Britain's Organic Food Scam Exposed - The Guardian 08/21/05

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BRITAIN'S ORGANIC FOOD SCAM EXPOSED

 

Jamie Doward, Mark Townsend and Andrew Wander

 

 

Sunday August 21, 2005

 

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.

 

Trading standards teams across the UK told The Observer they were aware

consumers' concerns about fraud were increasing. 'As organic food

increases in popularity, more people are going to take advantage,' said

David Pickering of the Trading Standards Institute.

 

Norfolk council's trading standards department said it had investigated

a number of people over the production and marketing of organic food in

recent years. 'It's certainly an area open to exploitation. People see

organic food as a way to make a few quick bob,' a spokesman said.

 

 

 

Earlier this year, Dorset council launched a clampdown on fraud within

the organic food industry which has grown chiefly thanks to a rise in

the number of farmers' markets and home delivery 'box schemes'.

 

But, despite the concerns, trading standards officers said few resources

were being devoted to tackling the growing problem.

 

'The term organic is clearly being abused, by both producers and

sellers. Not many local authorities have the resources to test the

integrity of organic food,' said Dr Yunes Teinaz, principal

environmental health officer at Hackney Borough Council.

 

Figures from market research agency Mintel suggest three out of four

households now buy some organic food and environmental groups said

fraudulent activity within the industry must be stamped out for the sake

of customers and legitimate farmers.

 

'It is not right consumers are paying over the odds because of

fraudsters,' said Vicki Hird, Friends of the Earth's food campaigner.

 

'These people are causing economic damage to other businesses who are

playing by the rules,' said Jenny Morris of the Chartered Institute of

Environmental Health.

 

There are fears an increasing amount of 'organic' food is coming in from

overseas making it difficult to establish its provenance.

 

'There are no tests for proving food is organic,' Morris said. 'So it

comes down to traceability, you have to follow a paper trail.'

 

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

 

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