'ORGANIC' BEEF SCAM

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'ORGANIC' BEEF SCAM

by Jeane MacIntosh & Matthew McDermott

 

Health chain relabels regular meat 'natural'

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/home/home_a.html

 

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 destoyed, 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 convetional 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 Pleasures 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 quantitites 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.

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

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