You already know that buying the best possible food you can afford is a wise decision for your family–that’s why you’re willing to pay extra for the USDA organic food label.
But what if the food you’re buying isn’t actually organic?
What if you’re just paying extra for conventionally grown food?
You’d probably feel scammed (I know I would).
Today, we’re diving into this very possible scenario. Because, it’s not far-fetched.
Sadly, it’s a very real possibility.
The magnitude of organic food fraud
The Grocery Manufacturers of America estimate that up to 10% of food products contain fraudulent ingredients. And considering that the organic produce market alone is a $63 billion industry, there are many incentives for farmers and food brokers to cheat the system.
While we will never be able to pinpoint the exact percentage of all conventional food sales sold as organic, we know that in 2016 approximately 7% of U.S. national organic corn sales can be traced back to a man named Randy Constant who was later convicted of the largest (known) organic food fraud case in U.S. history.
That same year his soybean sales accounted for 8% of the organic soybean crop.
It’s mind-boggling to think that just one unethical farmer had the ability to do that much damage in a given year.
Loopholes to the USDA organic food label
A slippery slope
Sometimes it’s as simple as a farmer blatantly misrepresenting their crops as organic. Other times, it’s a series of ethical gray areas, where a product is gradually diluted throughout its processing and packaging journey.
For example, the FDA allows fillers like cellulose–which is often sourced from wood pulp–to be present in organic shredded cheeses.
But some food manufacturers may gradually start increasing the amount of cellulose in order to improve their profit margins (Walmart’s Great Value brand of 100% grated parmesan cheese is reported to actually be 7.8% cellulose from wood pulp).
Complex supply chains
I would be more willing to trust that a carton of milk advertised as USDA certified organic than a breakfast bar or frozen lasagna with the same label. There are just more variables and parties involved in creating that final product.
The more processed an ingredient you’re purchasing is, the more parties are likely involved in creating that product. And subsequently, the more difficult it becomes to trust all the ingredients are actually certified organic.
Imported goods
The USDA delegates certification to its “certifying agents” and only 60% of these are based in the United States. The rest operate within foreign countries and once a foreign operation is certified, their products are free to enter the U.S. market food system.
Foreign food suppliers fraudulently claiming their product is meeting USDA standards for organic food practices are far less likely to face legal repercussions.
Be weary of “too good to be true” prices on imported, organic foods.
Cross-contamination
Organic fields can be cross-contaminated with neighboring conventional crops. Shared air, water, or equipment can leave traces of prohibited substances in organic produce.
However, dedicated organic farmers will take extensive steps to avoid this through the creation of buffer zones designed to minimize possible contact.
Blatant fraud
While the USDA requirements for organic certification might be extensive, require ample documentation and annual recertification–there is nothing to stop a business with parallel operations (both conventional and organic crops) from diverting some of their conventional crops to boost their organic food sales.
Some of it might even be unintentional.
After all, I’m not able to tell any visible difference between a conventional rolled oat and an organically grown rolled oat… can you?
Lack of testing
While there are tests to prove whether the organic grains you are buying are non-GMO (by definition, organic should ALWAYS be non-GMO), but there are no tests to prove whether something was raised organically throughout its entire life cycle.
Hydroponic farming
The organic food label tells us nothing about the overall health of the soil that crop was raised in. And, as you can imagine, the soil directly impacts nutritional value of a crop.
But to make things more challenging, the USDA allows hydroponic farming (a farming practice that doesn’t use soil AT ALL) to be considered organic. Or more specifically, it doesn’t prohibit it–it’s a regulatory loophole.
I don’t know about you, but most of the people I know that are willing to pay extra for organic blueberries would be disappointed if they knew those berries were grown on top of plastic, never making contact with the earth, and grown via a water-based “nutrient solution”.
How to protect yourself from organic food fraudsters
At any point, from the soil and fertilizers used, to whether or not pesticides were sprayed, to how the product is then processed and packaged, there are so many parties involved, that sticking to local farmers and companies with their reputation and livelihoods on the line might be the safest route.
But we don’t always have that option. Afterall, the largest producer of organic coffee is Peru.
This is where we have to be discerning and do our research.
Scrutinize imported foods
I often wondered how I could buy 100% organic honey from Costco at a fraction of a price as the farmer’s at the local market. I chalked it up to Costco’s suppliers having such large economies of scale that the numbers somehow worked.
That could very well be the case.
But I’ve started hearing more and more about the fake honey industry and how honey is one of the most adulterated foods of all time, and it’s made me start to wonder…
This is where knowing the country of origin for our foods is important–especially for products that come with a higher price point (honey, wine, coffee, olive oil).
Be aware that premium products are a target
Food manufacturers know that consumers are willing to pay a premium for quality honey, wine, coffee, etc.
And because conventional honey, wine, and coffee is often laden with pesticides, there is a growing consumer desire for organic options–which means they can sell these premium products for an even higher price point.
The higher potential profit margin, and consumer demand for organic, can make these food items easy targets for those hoping to game the system with substitution, dilution, or other forms of food fraud.
To protect yourself, consider choosing reputable brands and be careful of online distributors selling cheap, organic imported foods.
And keep in mind that just because a product is packaged in the USA, sourced, or distributed in the USA via a USA-based company, doesn’t necessarily mean it was made from ingredients grown in the USA.
“Country of origin” is the verbiage to look for instead.
Be weary of large companies with parallel operations
Companies with parallel operations have both organic certified food sales and conventional.
According to some, “it’s pretty simple” for two, side-by-side businesses to have crops from the conventional fields get mixed into their organic food sales while remaining undetected by the USDA or consumer.
By no means, does this mean every business with parallel operations is doing this. It just means we should be aware of this possibility–especially when there’s an economic incentive.
Choose brands that are loyal to their organic food customers
One of the best examples I can cite for a company committed to their organic food customer base and loyal to the principles of organic farming is Azure Standard; their entire business model is defined by a mission to offering access to as many organic options as possible and promoting healthy people and healthy soil.
While they don’t make all the products they sell (they’re an independent distributor), there are many products (like wheat) that they do grow.
When I buy Azure Standard’s organic wheat berries, I trust they are free from glyphosate and grown organically. And it feels great having that peace of mind.
Frequent your farmer’s markets
Farmer’s markets are, of course, seasonal and can come with a higher price tag.
But I am more willing to trust the quality from locally farmed produce than the organic berries being sold by Driscoll at the big box supermarkets.
Often times these small farmers can’t afford to apply for the USDA organic certification, but if they tell me that their produce wasn’t sprayed with pesticides and that they don’t use synthetic fertilizers, I take them at their word.
Don’t forget about your neighbors
When I couldn’t find a way to buy organic hay for our goats and rabbits in the major box stores, I decided to reach out to my neighbors on Next Door (this is a social media app for connecting with your neighbors).
I made a post asking for recommendations on where I could find “no-spray” hay. And to my surprise, someone reached out.
Although my neighbor is just a small-time farmer that would never bother getting a certification, I am willing to take her at her word that she doesn’t use pesticides on her grass.
After all, she grows and bails her grass in order to feed her horses, and she has just as much motivation as I do to keep her animals healthy.
Be aware of the conventional foods with the worst pesticide residues
There is a well-known “dirty dozen” list for produce.
But did you know that grains and legumes are among the worst offenders when it comes to pesticide residues?
Worse yet, many nut, grain and legume crops are sprayed with Roundup or glyphosate just days or weeks before harvesting.
By being aware of which foods are frequent targets for pesticides, you can choose to be more strict or stringent with those purchases.
From breakfast cereals to baby food to hummus, many of the food products marketed as “healthy” and “wholesome” are ladened with pesticides. It’s so sad.
So when it comes to produce, grains, nuts, coffee, beer, and wine, I’m pretty strict about buying organic and from brands I trust.
Final thoughts
In spite of the challenges to the organic food label, I still do my best to only buy organic foods. Because organic farming comes with tighter regulations, it still makes it the better option and less vulnerable to fraud than conventional food purchases.
For example: olive oil with an organic food label is more likely to actually be olive oil than a bottle without it, in my opinion.
However, I pay attention to brand names and try to choose companies that seem committed to their organic consumer base.
I know the Monsantos of the world can survive any lawsuit the world brings at them.
But the organic companies that are wholly defined and shaped by their organic values–those are the ones I try to buy from.
In the end though, we can only guarantee our food is organic if we are the ones to grow it.
And that’s okay with me.
I guess it’s just more motivation to figure out what I’m planting this Spring.
