KEY POINTS:
NEW YORK - Wal-Mart, the controversial retailing giant, is under investigation in the United States over allegations it is trying to pass off non-organic foods as organic.
It has been accused of misleading labelling that is "tantamount to consumer fraud" by an organic farming watchdog, the Cornucopia Institute, which has passed its complaints to the US Department of Agriculture.
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is also investigating whether Wal-Mart is placing "natural" produce on shelf space labelled as containing organic items.
The Cornucopia Institute claimed to have found dozens of examples of Wal-Mart's mislabelling products - from "all-natural yoghurt' to soya milk "made from organic soybeans".
The federal Department of Agriculture is examining its claims, while the Wisconsin authorities are examining Wal-Mart's practices and those of other supermarkets in the state.
Wal-Mart said it had written to store managers asking them to be careful, but added that consumers could tell whether a product was organic by looking for the Department of Agriculture label.
Wal-Mart is trying to build a green reputation and attract more affluent consumers by stocking organic food.
- INDEPENDENT
