Warning Over Dubious 'organic' Vegetable Claims

Researchers at Baptist University said on Sunday that a study they have carried out suggests some vegetable vendors in the city could be passing off regular produce as being organic.

The university's Organic Resource Centre said it recently checked more than 460 vegetable stalls at around 100 wet markets in the city. Some 60 percent claimed to be selling organic goods, but only around 40 percent had the certificates to prove it.

The centre's director, Jonathan Wong, said it is difficult for customers to tell if vegetables really are organic based just on their price and appearance.

Wong said laws should be brought in on the certification of organic goods.