Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • A pepper's color can tell you how sweet it is 7/9/09 • Slow boat from Sequim delivers veggies without using diesel fuel 7/4/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Friday, July 10, 2009 House seeks probe of organic food standards By Kimberly Kindy The Washington Post WASHINGTON -- A House agriculture appropriations bill that passed today includes $500,000 for the inspector general to investigate the U.S. Agriculture Department's National Organic Program to determine whether federal standards are being properly observed before farmers and food producers are allowed to use the USDA-certified label on food products. Passage of the bill represents the first step in establishing the USDA's fiscal 2010 budget. The Senate version of the bill does not include the additional funding, but Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., author of the federal law that established the organics program, believes the inspector general needs additional resources for the effort and might propose an amendment to add a similar amount of funding when the appropriations bill comes to the Senate floor. Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., proposed the additional funding to the Agriculture Appropriations Act in response to a Washington Post article that revealed how the program's lax and uneven enforcement of organics standards has harmed the integrity of the seven-year-old program. The Office of the Inspector General has been working for months on a review of the program. The additional funding, Holt said, would allow for a "thorough investigation" to determine "whether or not current inspectors are ensuring that the most rigorous standards for certification are honored when determining if a product may bear the USDA Organic label. " The extra funding would also expand the probe to determine whether non-organic substances are inappropriately being allowed in small amounts into certified organic foods. The number of non-organic substances that the USDA allows into certified organic products has increased from 77 to 245 since the program started in 2002. Officials in Holt's office said they hope to use the results of the investigation to determine what, if any, reforms are needed and whether new legislation is needed to improve the program. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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