News on UK Organic Food Frauds from Australia

Certainly, nobody here on UKBA would be guilty of a fraud...or has that
been done so much it's now a habit?

Burkie

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UK fraud prompts call for regulation of organic industry

Monday, 29/08/2005

An investigation in the UK has uncovered widespread fraud in the
organics industry.

Trading standards officers found both farmers and retailers were
passing off food as organic without accreditation, and have already
prosecuted two traders.

Organic producers say the same thing could happen here without better
controls over domestic organics.

In Australia, only organic food for export must be certified.

Clare Hughes from the Consumers Association says Food Standards
Australia New Zealand should regulate the industry.

"We are rather concerned that there is just no protection for consumers
as far as whether or not the money that they're spending, and let's
face it often they're spending more to buy the organic produce, that
the money that they're spending on the organic produce is actually
going towards something that is organic," she said.

"We'd like to see a code established and even addressing the use of
organic in labelling within the food standards code."

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