Organic Food Labels for Sale in China

Follow us on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cnforbiddennews Like us on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/chinaforbiddennews Media reports say that "black-hearted" or poisonous products are flooding China, thus, people are buying "organic food," even though it costs a whole lot more. China's organic food certification system is in a chaotic state. Labels of "organic food" are for sale on the Internet for as little as $18.50 per 10,000 labels. "Organic fruits! Organic vegetables!" Once food is labeled "organic," its price naturally doubles. China has a four-grade safety system for grading food products: ordinary, pollution-free, green and organic. Organic food is the highest level, which prohibits the use of pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides. However, according to Liberation Network, one can find many websites in China selling "organic labels." For example, a Shanghai-based printing firm provides customers with 10,000 "CHINESE ORGANIC" labels, for only $18.50. The Certification and Accreditation Administration of China authorizes 26 certificating agencies, each with a different logo, thus, determining what is and is not "certified" organic food becomes a daunting task for consumers. The Legal Daily reported that the majority of organic products sold in supermarkets in Urumqi, Xinjiang had confusing labels. Some labels only contained the firm's name and phone number. Some "organic" rice sells for $13.00 for 22 pounds, yet there's no brand on the packaging and even its source is unclear. So how did these "organic food" companies obtain certification? Several Legal Daily reporters wanted to find out, so they visited an institute of environmental sciences in Urumqi. One official introduced the certification process, saying that "For a three-year service contract we can offer a 30% discount off of the original price of $18,500. After that, we will immediately send people to inspect the food." Another certification agency staff told reporters: "As long as you pay, we can help with the process. We guarantee certification for $2,300-$3,000 and once we're paid, officials will send their staff to inspect, which is normal procedure. If the staff dares to not issue certification, officials will force them to, saying, 'You are not liable. Just issue the certification.' It is rare to find genuine organic food on the market!" The report also says that a deputy director of the Urumqi Bureau of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry also admits that the certification system is chaotic, due to weak government supervision. According to Southern Weekend, the wolfberries in Zhongning cannot be exported to the EU or U.S. Zhongning has 6.590 acres of land with a yearly yield of 5,000 tons, however, less than 600 acres have organic certification. The county produces less than 12 tons of organic wolfberries annually. A plantation owner in Zhongning simply admits, "A lot of the organic certifications are simply bought!" Ningxia Forestry Bureau's data shows that from 2007 to 2009, the U.S. rejected 24 shipments of wolfberries from China, due to excessive pesticide, sulfites, malignant impurities, etc. They were refused entry into the U.S. by FDA. NTDTV reporters Zeng Yaoxian and Wang Mingyu 《神韵》2011世界巡演新亮点 http://www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org/