If you can't trust your heath food store, who can you trust?
From:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11182002/news/regionalnews/62362.htm
'ORGANIC' BEEF SCAM
By JEANE MacINTOSH & MATTHEW McDERMOTT
Store owner Helen Burgess
November 18, 2002 -- The upscale organic-food chain Healthy Pleasures has
been scamming customers by repackaging conventional meat and passing it off
as organic and natural, a Post investigation has found.
The chain has been relabeling beef at its three Manhattan stores, according
to current and ex-employees and industry insiders, gouging customers by
several dollars per pound on some cuts.
"People trust them to sell them a superior product, and that is just not
happening," said one source, who asked to remain anonymous. "The beef is
marked 'natural' and 'organic,' and often that simply isn't the case."
Organic meat producers are prohibited by the USDA from using hormones,
pesticides and antibiotics in the raising of farm animals. Natural meat must
be "minimally processed" and contain no artificial ingredients, according to
USDA rules.
Healthy Pleasures owner Helen Burgess and chain manager Omar Bashar contend
their meat business is legit.
But after being asked about The Post's findings, Bashar and two store
workers surrounded a Post photographer on the street and wrestled a camera
from his hands. His photos were destroyed, and the three men were charged
with felony robbery, criminal mischief and criminal possession of stolen
property.
The Post's probe found:
* Current and former workers have been instructed to remove meat purchased
from IBP - a nationwide producer of conventional beef that doesn't handle
organic or natural products - from bulk packaging and put it in butcher
display cases with organic and natural labels.
"We would open the boxes, take the meat from the bulk bags and carry it
upstairs on a lug," said a former employee. "Then we would put it in the
case and stick the natural and organic signs on it. We were told never to
take IBP boxes up to the selling floor, where customers might see them."
* The University Place store gets frequent deliveries from IBP, though
manager Bashar said the chain offers "only a very minimal amount" of
conventional beef and "only when natural or organic product isn't
available."
Last Wednesday, there was one cut of conventional beef for sale at
University Place - a roast - compared with three rows of organic and natural
beef. On other visits to all three stores during a three-week period, The
Post saw only one other cut of conventional beef for sale.
Following the delivery of a number of large IBP boxes to University Place
witnessed by The Post last week, a reporter placed three calls to Bashar
seeking comment. He did not return them.
* The manager of the meat department at the University Place store said the
store buys its entire supply of organic and natural meat from E&S, a top
Meat Packing District distributor. But E&S owner Evan Wexler said he sells
"a small amount" of organic meat to Healthy Pleasure and that its most
recent delivery was Oct. 8. E&S does not carry natural beef.
Bashar refuted his manager's account, saying the chain bought all its beef
from Alberts Organic and Green Circle, not mentioning IBP. "Some of my
employees are new and don't know the product," he said.
* Less than an hour after speaking with The Post Wednesday, Bashar called in
large orders for organic and natural meat from Alberts Organic and Green
Circle, the organic meat producer used by many of the city's top restaurants
and food stores.
Reps for both firms confirmed that Bashar placed calls late Wednesday asking
for large quantities of organic and natural beef to be delivered the next
day. "They were scrambling to get their house in order," one insider said.
Organic and natural beef fetches top dollar from health-conscious food
shoppers, but prices for such meat at Healthy Pleasures are significantly
lower than at competing stores.
For example, organic rib-eye steaks at Healthy Pleasures were being sold for
$10.99 per pound last Tuesday.
At Citarella, they were $23.99 per pound. At Gourmet Garage, natural
rib-eyes sold for $14.99 per pound. Conventional rib-eyes at supermarkets
ranged from $8.99 to $10.99
"They are selling their organic and natural beef often for less than most of
us can buy it for," said one competitor.
A Department of Agriculture and Markets spokeswoman said the agency has had
no complaints against Healthy Pleasures involving meat labeling or
packaging. Fraudulent mislabeling of meat can carry tens of thousands of
dollars in potential fines.
Approached at her University Place office Wednesday, Burgess declined to
comment and referred all questions to Bashar, who sat for an interview and
gave a store tour.
"Whoever is telling you these things must be disgruntled - because it's not
true," Bashar said. He insisted meat in his butcher cases was not mislabeled
and offered to provide inventory invoices as proof.
But Bashar never supplied the invoices and did not respond to follow-up
requests to see the paperwork. His assistant referred calls to Burgess'
lawyer, Preston Leschins, who didn't return calls.
Follow-Up:
From:
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/62491.htm
CITY PROBES �ORGANIC' LABEL FRAUD
By JEANE MacINTOSH, LEAH HAINES and BRAD HAMILTON November 19, 2002 --
Mislabeled-meat maven Helen Burgess' Healthy Pleasures is being investigated
by the city's Department of Consumer Affairs for repackaging conventional
beef as "organic" and "natural."
The probe comes after yesterday's Post investigation outlined a scam at the
popular organic chain, which according to sources has been gouging customers
by several dollars per pound on some cuts.
"We are doing an investigation and we're working on it quickly," said Susan
Kassapian, Department of Consumer Affairs general counsel.
Burgess and chain manager Omar Bashar contend their meat business is legit.
Meanwhile, a former manager contacted The Post and claimed the mislabeling
isn't limited to meat.
"We did the same thing with produce," the former worker said. "For instance,
we would take the blue manufacturer's bands off the broccoli stalk and
replace them with bands that said �organic.' "
Two other sources recounted how conventional strawberries and oranges have
been used instead of organic products at the chain's juice bar.
And regular customer Antonio Joseph said he watched as an employee relabeled
Perdue ground turkey as "organic."
"I confronted him and was told, �Perdue is a huge company, and they make
organic turkey,' " Joseph said.
But Perdue does not produce any organic poultry.
Yesterday, Burgess' lawyer, Preston Leschins, dismissed the charges as
coming from "disgruntled" former employees.
"I've known Miss Burgess for several years and she is a person of incredible
integrity. She would never mislabel any product or claim that it is other
than what it's represented to be," Leschins said.
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