> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# GRAPHIC: USDA has received almost 1,000 complaints about operations selling ‘organic’ products without certification in recent years
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/graphic-usda-has-received-almost-1000-complaints-about-operations-selling-organic-products-without-certification-in-recent-years/
- Published: 2024-05-08T09:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-05-08T09:00:00.000Z
- Description: More than half of the investigations resulted in compliance or a civil penalty, according to newly released data.
- Author: Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest
- Tags: Data Harvest, Government, TP::Explainer, Organic, USDA, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

The “organic” label often hikes prices consumers pay at grocery stores, and more and more farms are trying to become organic certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the increase in popularity can mean the agency has to, in its words, protect the “[integrity of the USDA organic seal](https://www.investigatemidwest.org/content/files/www-ams-usda-gov/sites/default/files/media/nopenforcementupdatemay2019.pdf).”

Since 2019, the USDA has received almost 1,000 complaints that operators selling organic products — i.e., [not genetically modified or with the aid of pesticides](https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOP%5FBehindTheSeal.pdf?ref=investigatemidwest.org) — were not what they claimed.

More than half of those complaint investigations resulted in compliance and a small amount resulted in civil penalties, according to recently released data.

The [National Organic Program](https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program?ref=investigatemidwest.org) has released [statistics](https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program?ref=investigatemidwest.org) on its enforcement for years, but, recently, more [detailed case-level data](https://buttondown.email/data-liberation-project/archive/dlp-dispatch-14/?ref=investigatemidwest.org) was obtained by the Data Liberation Project, which aims to request and publicize datasets the government does not release.

[![Made with Flourish](https://www.investigatemidwest.org/content/files/public-flourish-studio/resources/made_with_flourish.xml) ](https://public.flourish.studio/story/2369372/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=story/2369372)