Organic Mattresses, Inc. Sees Promise In Court Ruling Over Misuse Of Organic Labeling
Furniture World News Desk on
4/26/2016
Retailers and manufacturers selling mattresses mislabeled as organic or misrepresenting products as such could find themselves in legal trouble thanks in part to a recent court ruling prohibiting manufacturers from using the term without finished product certification.
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) won a civil action in the U.S. District Court of Virginia against three mattress suppliers for unauthorized uses of the GOTS certification trademark on mattresses, including crib mattresses. The civil lawsuit was resolved with a permanent injunction prohibiting Serta Simmons Bedding, Delta Enterprises Corp., and Dreamwell from using the agency’s certification.
GOTS followed up the injunction by filing a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission documenting inaccuracies in the use of the term organic by U.S. companies in connection with textile products.
Walt Bader, president and founder of Organic Mattresses, Inc. (OMI), the nation’s number one manufacturer of organic mattresses under the Organicpedic™ and Organicpedic Earth™ brands, said retailers selling products mislabeled as organic could be creating legal liability for their companies.
“The court ruling and the GOTS’ FTC filing will strengthen the ability of retailers and manufacturers selling legitimate organic sleep products to stand out from companies who misrepresent their products as organic,” Bader said. “When consumers see mattresses labeled as organic, they believe it. Unfortunately, many companies think they can skirt the requirements.”
The court’s decision also sets a legal precedent for consumers seeking compensation from retailers who used incorrect statements and logos to promote non-certified products.
“The decision could represent an enormous liability for retailers down the line when consumers realize their mattresses were not in fact organic as defined by the USDA requirements to use the term,” Bader said.
In its FTC complaint, GOTS asks the agency to clarify for marketers that third-party certifications in place are recognized by federal agencies. The organization also encouraged the FTC to monitor and enforce the use of the term organic on textiles not certified by either GOTS or the National Organic Program that specifies only textile products produced in compliance with the regulations can be labeled as NOP certified organic and display the U.S. Department of Agriculture organic seal.
Much of the problem, Bader said, comes from retailers making oral statements to consumers and online claims that the mattresses they sell are organic without meeting the requirements set out by the U.S.D.A.
OMI is a full-circle environmental company dedicated to supporting America’s organic and sustainable farmers. OMI was the first company to achieve USDA “Certified Organic” status for a complex textile (mattress). It was the first company to challenge the CPSC and proved that its products could pass flammability regulations without fire barriers or suppressants; the first to develop a method of sanitizing certified organic raw materials; and the first company to use certified organic 100 percent natural latex cores in its products.
More about Organic Mattresses Inc.: OMI’s handmade custom organic mattresses are manufactured in Northern California in the first and only large-scale Eco-Factory™ dedicated to the manufacturing of certified organic products. OMI mattresses qualify under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s LEEDs indoor air-quality program, go to
www.omimattress.com or call 800-951-9196 during Pacific Coast business hours.