Flood of food imported to U.S., but only 2 percent inspected

[Exterous]

No, it was not. While the Texas plant had uh, issues, the outbreak was traced back to the GA plant, which was not "Organic."

Eh?

A private certifier took nearly seven months to recommend that the U.S.D.A. revoke the organic certification of the peanut company’s Georgia plant, and then did so only after the company was in the thick of a massive food recall. So far, nearly 3,000 products have been recalled, including popular organic items from companies like Clif Bar and Cascadian Farm. Nine people have died and almost 700 have become ill.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/dining/04cert.html?pagewanted=all

They sourced organic peanuts to use in organic products carrying the organic label...

Edit: I never followed up with the story but last I heard they were pretty sure it was the 'organic' peanuts from China that was the problem

It also shows that it's too easy to get and maintain an organic certification, regardless of what [ever-loosening] standards that should adhere them to.

Agreed hence my use of the ' when talking about 'organic' foods (It's like the free range classification for chickens) But keep in mind that for a lot of people 'going organic to stay safe' in terms of food does not = making sure the places they buy their 'organic' food from are safe

 

[Cerb]

Eh?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/dining/04cert.html?pagewanted=all

They sourced organic peanuts to use in organic products carrying the organic label...

Well (a) color me corrected, and (b) I wondered why those Clif bars were in all the bargain bins everywhere, awhile back (well, aside from not being tasty). Interestingly, I cannot seem to find any other source for the GA plant having an organic cert, though further looking does get recalled organic products with peanut paste from that plant.

 

[Exterous]

Well (a) color me corrected, and (b) I wondered why those Clif bars were in all the bargain bins everywhere, awhile back (well, aside from not being tasty). Interestingly, I cannot seem to find any other source for the GA plant having an organic cert, though further looking does get recalled organic products with peanut paste from that plant.

TBH I was kind of suprised at how incomplete a lot of the details were. This was a huge deal at the last place I worked as they do a lot of organic certifications and auditings so I knew the GA facility dealt with organic products and had the organic certification but had a heck of a time finding public links to support that (since I don't have access to my old links). This got me interested again in if they ever did determine the Chinese peanuts were to blame instead of just highly suspect. A lot of links in articles linking to .gov websites and reports about the case also returned 404 errors and I never saw an asnwer to that

I think its time for me to put my tin foil hat on...:awe:

 

[Cerb]

TBH I was kind of suprised at how incomplete a lot of the details were. This was a huge deal at the last place I worked as they do a lot of organic certifications and auditings so I knew the GA facility dealt with organic products and had the organic certification but had a heck of a time finding public links to support that (since I don't have access to my old links). This got me interested again in if they ever did determine the Chinese peanuts were to blame instead of just highly suspect. A lot of links in articles linking to .gov websites and reports about the case also returned 404 errors and I never saw an asnwer to that

I think its time for me to put my tin foil hat on...:awe:

Given the overall situation, I would be willing to leave the hat off, and chock it up to negligence. There is plenty of bribery, arm-twisting, conspiracies, and conflicts of interest, but so many of the long-term problems boil down to lack of people, time, funding, and necessary public attention.