NOP Alert: Fraudulent Certificates Posted
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National
Organic Program (NOP) has revised its webpage for posting fraudulent organic
certificates. The text-based list of fraudulent certificates has been replaced with
a more user-friendly, downloadable spreadsheet. The new spreadsheet makes it easier for users to review, search, and sort the list.
In addition, the NOP is alerting the organic trade about the
presence of several additional fraudulent organic certificates. Eleven
fraudulent organic certificates listing the following businesses are in use and
have recently been reported to the NOP:
- MySpiceSage
- Aphrodite Group
- Hambsch Family
Vineyards, LLC
- Gulda Afro Group
Sanayi Ticaret Wix
- Wayne Food Co Ltd
-
Dong Duong Export Company Limited
-
Pichuberry LLC
- Shad Enterprises
- Campo Agricola
Agua Azul
- BioOrganic CIA
LTDA
-
Societe Aparma
Sarl
Access
the revised website and see the fraudulent certificate listing
These eleven certificates falsely represent agricultural
products as certified organic under the USDA organic regulations, violating the
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990.
Fraudulent certificates may have been created and used
without the knowledge of the operator or the certifying agent named in the
certificate. The posting of fraudulent certificates does not necessarily mean
that the named operator or certifying agent was involved in illegal activity.
If an operation named on a fraudulent certificate is certified, its certifying
agent, identified in the list of certified operations, can provide additional
information and verification to the organic trade.
The vigilance of the organic community is a vital force in
ensuring organic integrity. Organic handlers should continue to review
certificates carefully, validate with their certifying agents where needed, and
send any suspicious certificates to the NOP Compliance and Enforcement team.
Any use of this certificate or other fraudulent documents to
market, label, or sell non-organic agricultural products as organic can result
in a civil penalty of up to $11,000 per violation.
Persons with information regarding the production or use of this
or other fraudulent NOP certificates are asked to send information to the NOP
Compliance & Enforcement Division.
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