How Credible is Whole Foods?

Think you’re always buying organic food if it says so on the label? You might want to think again. The leading organic retailer in the United States, Whole Foods Market, was recently caught with its proverbial pants down.

ABC Channel 7 (WJLA) in Washington, D.C. aired a report showing that many of Whole Foods’ frozen organic products under the “365 Organic” label actually came from China, even one product labeled “California Blend Vegetables.” The video, available on YouTube, does say that since the story was first reported, Whole Foods now gets its California Blend Vegetables from California. And if the buyer looks closely enough at the back of the package, “Made in China” can be found in small print.

Food sold in the U.S. as organic must be approved by the USDA before displaying the “organic” label. Whole Foods said it relies on a third-party certifier Quality Assurance International (QAI) to certify its products from China, but when QAI was asked, they admitted that they, in turn, use yet another third-party certifier in China. Whole Foods refused to give the name of that company. Experts say that it is difficult, if not impossible, to confirm that organic standards are being met in China.

The TV station managed to obtain a confidential document listing the country of origin for many of Whole Foods’ products, including organics. It shows that dozens of these products come from China. That document is available on the station’s website at the bottom of the story.

Since the beginning of 2010, the Food and Drug Administration has stopped at least 260 shipments of foods from China, the station reported, including strawberries contaminated with pesticides, bacteria or filth. An earlier ABC story by a station in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed that the majority of seafood consumed in this country is imported from developing countries. Up to 60 percent of seafood imported through Alabama has been rejected by that states’ agriculture inspectors for contamination.

Yet another set of reasons to always read labels closely.