Growers can be sued in state court for falsely labeling food as organic, even though the federal government oversees organic agriculture, said the California Supreme Court. “Labels matter, Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar wrote for the court,” said the Los Angeles Times. The decision will allow a class-action suit against Herb Thyme Farms to go forward. The company has many farms in the state. Most of the farms use conventional practices but one is certified by USDA as organic. ”
The lawsuit contends that Herb Thyme processes its conventional and organic herbs together under an organic label and even sells some herbs grown entirely with chemicals as organic, said the Los Angeles Times. Herb Thyme denies the charges and argued successfully in lower courts that the federal government has primacy over food labeling so state courts were the wrong venue for the case.