Episode 110: USDA Organic Food Fraud

The USDA announced they’d finally start cracking down on organic food fraud and weeding out producers that misrepresent their product as “organic” for a higher profit. This week, Matt and Carolanne talk about why these loopholes exist, how fraudsters have made millions in profit before getting caught, and what this means for your grocery shopping. 

Our linktree: linktr.ee/boozedandconfused

This week's booze of choice: Goose Island Christmas IPA and Guinness

Sources:

• https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/22/understanding-usda-organic-label
• https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means
• https://apnews.com/article/health-us-department-of-agriculture-business-fraud-0f8e2de267f98caf214b8984b6fe098e
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/usda-organic-food-regulation/
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/04/07/pesticides-fruits-vegetables-dirty-dozen/9470237002/
• https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/11/15/the-great-organic-food-fraud
• https://www.wisfarmer.com/story/news/2020/02/18/south-dakota-man-indicted-71-million-organics-fraud/4801207002/
• https://www.aberdeennews.com/story/news/local/2022/09/02/fraud-and-weak-usda-oversight-chip-away-integrity-organic-food-industry/10352109002/
• https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/organic-label-pineapple-investigation-costa-rica/
• https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/05/organic-food-false-labeling/