CFIA investigating claims that poultry was falsely labeled as organic
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is investigating allegations that an Ontario poultry producer has falsely labelled chicken products as organic. According to CTV News, a former employee at Cericola Farms Inc. is alleging in court documents that the company has falsely labelled conventional chicken products as certified organic and antibiotic-free, in order to fill shipments for large Canadian grocery chains.
Vashti Dalipsingh, a former director of operations who was fired from the company on April 30, 2015, is suing the company got wrongful termination. She claims that she discovered Cericola Farms ran out of its own supply of organic and antibiotic-free poultry and needed more in order to fill shipments for major clients, including Loblaws and Costco. She claims that the company was falsely labeling poultry as organic for at least five months before she was fired.
Dalipsingh says that she went to the company to object about the mislabeled products, and that shortly after, she was accused of tampering with chicken products and dismissed.
In a statement to CTV Toronto Thursday, Cericola Farms said the allegations made by Dalipsingh “are frivolous and vexatious, and we intend to vigorously defend our company in court.”
A spokesman for the CFIA said that it is aware of the allegations and is investigating.
“It is important to note that most organic labelling infractions are not food safety concerns,” Rod Lister said. “The CFIA takes all allegations of mislabelling seriously.”
Source: CTV News
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