Washington, DC, USA
December 2, 2011

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced that W. Atlee Burpee Company Inc., a seed company operating out of Warminster, Pa., has paid $2,750 to settle alleged violations of the Federal Seed Act. The company settled the case in agreement with AMS officials. The company neither admitted nor denied the charges brought against them.

This settlement resolves three cases that involved multiple shipments–one shipment of lettuce seed to Texas and two shipments of garden bean seed to North Carolina. The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were as follows:

• false labeling as to variety name;
• false labeling as to percentage of germination;
• failure to test for germination, prior to interstate shipment; and
• failure to keep or supply receiving, test, and labeling records, as required by the act.

AMS administers the Federal Seed Act with the assistance of state seed officials. The investigation was completed through joint efforts by AMS and seed regulatory officials in Texas. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.

Website: http://www.ars.usda.gov

Published: December 2, 2011