counterfeit

It's only January, and the organic industry is already having a bad year. Not only have producers been losing consumers due to the hefty price tag of organic food, but the industry has struggled to maintain its integrity.

With organic feed prices at an all-time high, farmers in the UK are lobbying the government to temporarily relax organic feed standards to assist livestock producers who are currently paying twice as much for organic feed as they would conventional. In California, state investigators have discovered that California Liquid Fertilizer, an organic farming treatment, had been spiking its fertilizer with a synthetic product banned from organic farms. The tainted fertilizer infiltrated up to a third of the organic market, including produce giants such as Earthbound Farms, for up to seven years. Following the incident, investigations have begun into other organic fertilizer distributors in different states.

With these issues now in the spotlight, it's my feeling that consumers will be left confused about organic standards of quality, and distrustful of industry practices. Does this affect your preferences about shopping organic?

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Everyone from health experts to Rachael Ray has touted the benefits of olive oil. As demand for expensive, higher-quality olive oil has grown, however, so has the problem of fraud. Last year, Connecticut officials discovered that some of that state's olive oil was a little too slick. As a result, beginning next month, the state will be the first in the country to set quality standards for olive oil. The state's new regulations prohibit additives and define virgin olive oil as "obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means . . . which have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtration." California and New York have expressed interest in enacting similar standards because counterfeit olive oil poses a potential health risk to consumers. Some people experience adverse reactions from unscrupulous olive oil, possibly as a result of food allergies to soybeans, tree nuts, and peanuts.

Often, when I'm buying cooking olive oil, I look for bargain prices. Now I'll take more interest in the brands that I choose. Will you do the same? Does this type of criminal activity surprise you?

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Italian officials arrested 15 people involved in selling imitation Ferraris online. Wannabes could buy the knock-offs for only $30,000, a fraction of what the real thing would cost. Predominately made with pieces from American Pontiacs, included only a few pieces from the real 328 GTB. 14 cars, along with altered authentication papers, have been sold.

This story makes me ponder why people buy luxury goods. Is it only important that everyone thinks you're driving a Ferrari? Or is the real thing worth the price tag?

Do you think you could spot a counterfeit sports car, as well as you could spot counterfeit Gucci sunglasses?

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Yesterday morning, New York City police officers seized more than $1 million in knockoff accessories and fragrances bearing labels like Prada, Fendi, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Calvin Klein, and Coach.

Three buildings were raided on a block in Chinatown formed by Canal, Walker, and Centre Streets, which housed 32 storefronts illegally selling fake goods. According to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, this is one of the largest raids on trademark copiers in the city's history, following a seizure of $45 million in counterfeit merchandise back in 2005. Crazy!

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Quick, call the crack team at Boston Legal! L'Oreal is taking eBay to court in five European countries, claiming that the auction site isn't doing enough to crack down on counterfeit cosmetics and fragrances. L'Oreal produces more than just its namesake products; it also owns The Body Shop, Lancome, Kiehl's, Shu Uemura and produces fragrances for Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Viktor & Rolf and Cacharel. In a statement, the company said:

"L'Oreal has been facing an increasing volume of illicit trade in fake fragrances and fake cosmetic products on some online auction sites."

I'm no Matlock, but my guess is that this lawsuit won't go far, because eBay is merely the conduit for the illegal sellers. If you're concerned about buying fakes, check out my guide to spotting them.