November, 02 2016, 09:45am EDT
Nonprofits File Lawsuit Against Sioux Honey Over '100% Pure' and 'Natural' Labels on Products Contaminated with Glyphosate
Beyond Pesticides, Organic Consumers Association allege deceptive and misleading labeling, after FDA testing confirms contamination
WASHINGTON
Beyond Pesticides and the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), represented by Richman Law Group, today filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in the District of Columbia against Sioux Honey Association, for the deceptive and misleading labeling of its Sue Bee and Aunt Sue's honey brands. The suit follows news that Sue Bee honey products labeled "100% Pure" and "Natural" tested positive for glyphosate residue. Glyphosate, a known endocrine disrupter and, according to the World Health Organization, a probable human carcinogen, is the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup(r) herbicide.
"A consumer seeing the words 'Pure,' '100% Pure' or 'Natural' on a honey product would reasonably expect that product to contain nothing other than honey," said OCA International Director, Ronnie Cummins. "Regardless of how these products came to be contaminated, Sioux Honey has an obligation to either prevent the contamination, disclose the contamination, or at the very least, remove these deceptive labels."
Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides, said: "We join and support those beekeepers who are working to stop hazardous pesticides uses that cause widespread contamination of crops, including honey. Until U.S. regulatory agencies prohibit Monsanto and other manufacturers of glyphosate from selling pesticides that end up in the food supply, we need to protect consumers by demanding truth and transparency in labeling."
The lawsuit specifically cites Sue Bee Clover Honey, labeled "Pure"; Aunt Sue's Farmers Market Clover Honey, labeled "100% Pure"; and Aunt Sue's Raw Honey, labeled "100% Pure" and "Natural. Plaintiffs cite testing, conducted by the FDA, of honey that found 41 ppb (parts per billion) of glyphosate.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not set a tolerance (or acceptable level) of glyphosate in honey, raising questions about the legality of any level.
The EPA was supposed to rule in 2015 on whether or not to re-register glyphosate, but has failed to complete the review process on schedule.
Read the formal complaint here.
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots 501(c)3 nonprofit public interest organization, and the only organization in the U.S. focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation's estimated 50 million consumers of organically and socially responsibly produced food and other products. OCA educates and advocates on behalf of organic consumers, engages consumers in marketplace pressure campaigns, and works to advance sound food and farming policy through grassroots lobbying. We address crucial issues around food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability, including pesticide use, and other food- and agriculture-related topics.
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