US organic trade body forms unit to tackle fraud

Washington

THE organic industry in the United States is creating an anti-fraud task force following a Washington Post (WP) report that millions of pounds of "USDA Organic" soyabeans and corn imported through Turkey appear to have been fraudulent.

Organised by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), the task force would develop methods for companies to ensure that imports of organic products are actually organic.

"There is a strong desire on the part of industry to stop the incidence of fraud in organic," said Laura Batcha, director of the association. "The consumer expects that organic products are veri…