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Roxy
Nov 15th, 2006, 09:51 PM
This time, they're being investigated for falsley advertising conventional products as "organic". Just another reason for me not to shop with these scumbags.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_3364.cfm

Soul Rebel
Nov 16th, 2006, 12:12 PM
I'm so glad i don't shop at walmart anymore. Thanks for the info!

fiamma
Nov 16th, 2006, 01:29 PM
Well I'm shocked but not surprised. Thanks for the info Roxy.

Roxy
Nov 18th, 2006, 05:10 AM
You're welcome you guys :)

I work with a girl who shops at Walmart all the time!! Whenever she knows I've made a purchase, her standar answer is "you can get that for less at Walmart". It drives me nuts, because I've explained to her again and again why I don't like to shop at Walmart and either she just doesn't get it or she just doesn't care.

Pisces
Jan 23rd, 2007, 11:01 AM
Wal-Mart Accused of Mislabeling Organics

January 21, 2007
By Holly Case
Natural Food Network Newsletter Editor



Many organic advocates reacted to the entrance of Wal-Mart into the organic game with mixed feelings. On the one hand, when the nation's largest grocery retailer decides to significantly expand their organic offerings, it says something positive about the demand for organics. But on the other hand, Wal-Mart is known for demanding that their suppliers cut corners to deliver products at ever cheaper prices, so some wondered if that would impact organic integrity. Now, organic advocacy group The Cornucopia Institute believes that Wal-Mart may not have delivered what customers were paying extra to receive.

The Cornucopia Institute claims that Wal-Mart mislabeled non-organic produce as certified organic in some of its stores. The group visited dozens of stores in five states and said that such violations were widespread. The Cornucopia Institute also filed a complaint about Wal-Mart in Wisconsin, and the US Department of Agriculture is investigating the same issue in response to similar complaints.

For their part, Wal-Mart claims that the mislabeled organics were an isolated incident. As reported by MSNBC and BusinessWeek, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karen Burk said, "The USDA certification label is featured on the packaging of the organic selections we offer for further customer information and verification. We have sent procedural guidelines to our stores for proper management of these identification tags."

Some are rightfully concerned about how these allegations, if true, could erode consumer trust in the organic label. Randy Lee, CFO at PCC Natural Markets, the largest co-op operating in the US, told BusinessWeek, ""If these allegations are true, then it very easily erodes those standards and comes with a significant business impact on other retailers that have higher standards."

As the organic industry grows and gets more widespread distribution, including from giant retailers such as Wal-Mart, some growing pains are to be expected. But it is important to make sure that the integrity of the organic label is not lost in the process, and it is essential that the USDA provides the necessary oversight to ensure that high standards are maintained.

http://www.naturalfoodnet.com/nfnportal/article.aspx?aid=1412