Organic ≠ Safe

The "Organic" label on an item of food is not a guarantee of safety. Take, for example, today's recall announcement by Waitrose, Ltd. of the United Kingdom.

The Food Standards Agency issued a Food Alert today, advising consumers that Waitrose was recalling some of its Organic Eggs due to lead contamination. The company has recalled all date codes up to and including 20 May 2008 of eggs marked with the farm identification code OUK 20137.

Apparently, the flock of free-range hens that produced these eggs had consumed lead shot. The company is concerned that some of the lead might have contaminated the eggs.

The company is requesting that consumers check their egg packages for the identification code and return the recalled eggs to any Waitrose outlet for a full refund.