ODA Testing Beneficial Claims of Fertilizers

The Oregon Department of Agriculture Fertilizer Program is testing claims by fertilizers as part of their role as consumer protection advocates.

Fertilizer Enforcement Specialist Toby Primbs is testing for micro-organisms.

“These are ingredients that have grown interest in every sector from the retail to the hydroponic to the big ag. There’s also interest at the national level in soil health, increasing the microbial content of the soil. It can break down organic matter and release nutrients.”

Many of these products are sold at premium prices, but Primbs said consumers are overpaying.

“We’ve been doing this three years and the results are not good. We’ve had some really big numbers claimed and it’s come back as zero, non-detects.”

Only 12 products out of more than 80 which claimed to have beneficial bacteria or fungi actually did.

ODA has notified the companies involved with a warning that enforcement action will take place in the future on false claims.