The New York Timesreports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to begin spot testing of organic products. The news is alarming because people have been eating organic food for years now, apparently without spot checking. The Times says spot testing has been required since 1990 but regulators have not been checking to ensure that spot checks are being carried out. Miles McEvoy, the head of the National Organic Program, says unannounced spot checks will also be required.
The head of the National Organic Program, Miles McEvoy, said on Friday that enforcing testing rules was one of several steps the agency was taking to improve oversight of the industry. It will also require unannounced inspections of organic producers and processors and start regular reviews of organic products in stores to make sure they are correctly labeled and meet federal regulations, he said.
"There’s a real commitment from this administration to improve the integrity of this program," Mr. McEvoy said.
The Atlanticreports that the USDA's Office of the Inspector General recently released a report about the state of inspections that was highly critical. The Cornucopia Institute, an organics industry watchdog group, also has an article about the USDA report.
The New York Times 
