Spot Testing of Organic Foods to Increase

Spot tests for pesticide levels in organic food will be increased, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

National Organic Program head Miles McEvoy said this would be among the steps the programme would take to improve oversight efforts, according to upi.com.

The agency’s reaction follows an audit report by the inspector general of the US Agriculture Department stating food regulators have failed to ensure strict spot testing of organic produces, according to nytimes.com.

The report also said the National Organic Program’s failure to follow through on investigations has allowed some companies to continue falsely advertising products as organic for years.

Between 2006 and 2008, it took National Organic Program officials an average of 15 months to act on the five enforcement recommendations that came from USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the report said.