Firm Enters Plea in False Labeling Case

Petrou Foods Inc., a San Diego processor of olives, olive oil and vinegar, has pleaded no contest to charges of theft for falsely representing and branding its foods as organic. Under the terms of a plea agreement with the San Diego city attorney’s office, the company was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay $10,409 in fines and costs. Andreas Petrou, son of company founder George Petrou, was also sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $1,200. He was ordered to serve a day in custody and spend 30 days picking up trash. As reported in The Times in October, the company was using an altered organic-certification document. The certificate number and address belonged to another firm. Petrou Foods also could not produce records proving that its olives were organic. On a state application for organic registration, Petrou Foods listed as the source of its wares the address of Singing Hills Golf Course in El Cajon. Bill Stephans, deputy agricultural commissioner of San Diego County, said the company remains under scrutiny. “We’re going to be watching them really carefully,� he said.