Organic meat fraud: ban on marketing organic products

Another company in Delbrück is prohibited from trading in organic products - Bioland is filing criminal charges against the companies concerned

After a marketing ban for organic products was imposed on a farm in the Paderborn district in December 2008, the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV) has again to revoke the eco status of a farm in Delbrück that belongs to the same group of companies. The third company in this group is accused of violating the EU organic regulation.

The ban is valid for two years, all eco-labels must be removed. If it was previously about the purchase of animal feed, it has now been found at this company that between 2004 and 2008 approx. 1.000 t of conventional poultry and lamb products were purchased directly. Despite repeated requests, the company could not prove the whereabouts of the goods.

The further case makes the dimension of the violations of the EU organic regulation discovered here clear. The LANUV is working flat out to further clarify the case, also in order to be able to give consumers confidence in the labeling of organic products.

The reviews of the farm are still ongoing. As things currently stand, the organic farm has already bought more than 2005 t of conventional feed since 3000.

Bioland files criminal charges against affected companies

Bioland welcomes the announcement by the LANUV that it now wants to clear up the case at full speed. So far it is unclear to what extent the Delbrück-based company has marketed conventional poultry as organic meat. Bioland President Thomas Dosch emphasizes: "We finally need clarity as to the extent to which the EU organic regulation has been violated here. This is of great importance for consumers, but also for the many honest organic producers and processors who suffer from consumer insecurity. "

The Bertros company, which has now been banned from marketing organic products by the LANUV, did not belong to an organic farming association. Two companies from the same group of companies that were members of the Biolandverband have already been blocked in the last few weeks.

The Franzsander poultry farm was closed in December 2008 by both Bioland and LANUV. After evaluating the control results, Bioland terminated the business without notice at the beginning of the year.

The company RoBert's Bio-Geflügel also belonged to the same group of companies. A marketing ban was imposed on this company and Bioland dismissed it without notice. "Today Bioland filed a criminal complaint against Franzsander GbR and Roberts GmbH & Co KG," said Thomas Dosch.

Source: Delbrück - Recklinghausen - Wiesbaden [LANUV / Bioland]