Pichuberry under investigation
An organic certificate for golden berries with the business name Pichuberry has been confirmed as fraudulent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“It falsely represents agricultural products as certified organic under the USDA organic regulations, violating the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990,” Peter Wood of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s public affairs office said in an e-mail.
Fraudulent certificates can be created and used without the knowledge of the certifying agent, Wood said, and the operator and certifying agent may not be involved in the illegal activity.
The USDA confirmed that Andes Export Company, which is a legitimate supplier of organic fresh golden berries, had its organic certificate altered and is not responsible for the alteration. The company is still certified by CERES, and is in good standing, according to a document from the USDA’s National Organic Program,
Wood said the AMS is still reviewing the case, and cannot comment on open investigations.
