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Your Call: Is this really organic?

by flickr user pinster cardigan

  

How do you know your organic food is really organic?

 

 

 

The federal government allows farmers to hire and pay their own inspectors to certify them as “USDA organic.” And as the industry blows up, some mega-farms are reportedly taking advantage of the lax enforcement.

We’ll hear about recent investigations into abuse of the organic labelling system on milk, eggs, and soybeans. As these scandals come to light, they could damage consumer confidence in organic food, and threaten the existence of small organic farmers who are playing by the rules.

 

Guests:

Peter Whoriskey, Washington Post journalist

Paige Tomaselli, Senior Attorney with the Center for Food Safety

 

Web Resources:

“Why the hell am I paying more for this?” Major egg operation houses “USDA Organic” hens at three per square foot

 

Millions of pounds of apparently fake ‘organic’ grains convince the food industry there may be a problem

 

The labels said ‘organic.’ But these massive imports of corn and soybeans weren’t.

 

Why your ‘organic’ milk may not be organic

 

How millions of cartons of ‘organic’ milk contain an oil brewed in industrial vats of algae

 

Center for Food Safety

 

Rep. Chellie Pingree: We Must Act to Protect Integrity of the Certified Organic Label