Special Report: California Blend Vegetables

Look at this bag of frozen vegetables. It’s available at a local supermarket chain which sells its own line of organic food.

Jonathan Hall, 7News
"What's that say?

Shopper
"It says 'California Blend', organic."

If these veggies really came from out West, it would have to be from the west of China.

Jonathan Hall, 7News
"Let's turn it over. What does that say?"

Shopper
"It says product of China."

Jonathan Hall, 7News
"What do you think about that?"

Shopper
"I don’t know, I think it's a deception."

We showed this bag to people buying veggies at Boston's Haymarket, and for some it left a bad aftertaste.

Jonathan Hall, 7News
"Do you find that deceiving?"

Carmine Forlizzi, Fresh Vegetable Seller
"Yeah, I do. Something should be done about it."

Shopper
"It's worrying. It's concerning."

Company management insists "California Blend" is not misleading. They claim it’s a culinary term, referring to a specific mix of vegetables.

We asked a top official at the Food and Drug Administration whether this is legal.

Dr. David Acheson, FDA Associate Commissioner for Foods
"I'd need to consult with a lawyer on that. The bottom line is there has to be truth in labeling. Is it deceiving the consumer? Is it a food safety issue? Probably not. I think I would have to look at the bag."

Fair enough. We brought Dr. Acheson the bag.

Dr. David Acheson, FDA Associate Commissioner for Foods
"Product of China. OK. Well that's legal."

Jonathan Hall, 7News
"But is it deceiving?"

Dr. David Acheson, FDA Associate Commissioner for Foods
"If it said on here, grown in California, or product of California, that would worry me a whole lot more than saying 'California Blend'."

The supermarket chain selling these frozen veggies does take an extra step by listing product of China, which is something it doesn't have to do.

The FDA doesn't even require country of origin labeling. The USDA does, but only for fish and shell fish. They are looking at expanding that to include organic vegetables, but that's been delayed.

The company now tells us it will change future labels to say "California Style Blend" for greater clarity.

And safety is apparently not an issue here. The FDA says it has no record of a salmonella or e-coli outbreak from imported Chinese produce.

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