China Goes Organic Purchasers of "organic" foods such as edamame and canned beans from Whole Foods have lately noticed a surprising thing: Some of the labels on these foods show that they come from China.
(The government doesn't force food sellers to label a food's country of origin, but Whole Foods and Trader Joe's do so voluntarily.)

The only problem: Because of lax Department of Agriculture policies, there's absolutely no way to tell if that food meets the standards for being called organic.

Organic produce imported from China carries the U.S. Department of Agriculture's organic logo and is certified by private firms authorized to approve use of the label. However, consumers who view that as a guarantee that the produce is pesticide-free are mistaken. The federal rules establishing the organic certification do not include routine testing for pesticide contamination.

...China is renowned for counterfeit consumer goods and mislabeled commodities. An industrial chemical mislabeled as wheat gluten, melamine, is believed to have led to a huge recall of tainted pet food earlier this year and the reported deaths of hundreds of animals. In a country where goods ranging from Prada handbags to Duracell batteries are regularly faked, ensuring that a shipment of soybeans came from an organic field and not a chemical-treated one would seem quite a challenge....

And when you read what the certification process involves, it becomes clear that "challenge" is an understatement.

Surely this is a bad move on the part of Whole Foods, etc.....
  ¶ 6:40 AM