Wal-Mart has received a formal warning over its habitual mislabelling of conventional items as organic following a three-month investigation by state consumer protection authorities.
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In a letter to Wal-Mart, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture’s Trade and Consumer Protection division said it had found numerous examples of conventional foods being labelled organic.
“Use of the term ‘Wal-Mart Organics’ in combination with reference to a specific non-organic product may be considered to be a misrepresentation and therefore a violation” of Wisconsin state statutes, the Trade and Consumer Protection authority said.
While Wisconsin regulators only sent a formal warning concerning the retail giant’s organic marketing practices, they had reached an agreement with the company under which steps would be taken to prevent future misrepresentations of organic food.
The investigation into Wal-Mart’s organic marketing practices was undertaken in response to complaints filed by organic watchdog the Cornucopia Institute.
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By GlobalData“This finding is a victory for consumers who care about the integrity of organic food and farming,” said Mark Kastel, co-director of the Institute. “Wal-Mart cannot be allowed to sell organic food ‘on the cheap’ because they lack the commitment to recruit qualified management or are unwilling to properly train their store personnel,” Kastel added.
