Audit of Organic Program Is Ordered Agency's Standards Will Be Scrutinized
By Kimberly Kindy Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, August 8, 2009
The U.S. Agriculture Department has ordered an audit of its National Organic Program, saying that external scrutiny is needed to improve the integrity, transparency and reliability of the seven-year-old food program.
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The Washington Post published a story last month describing how federal organics standards had been relaxed as a result of decisions by program officials and an advisory board that had approved a growing list of non-organic ingredients. Also, certifiers often set their own criteria for determining what products earn the federal organic label, leading some food producers to shop around for certifiers.
