Ariz.: 'Buy Local' Food Programs Deceive Consumers

Coffee beans don't grow in Utah, but if they are roasted there they can be labeled “local.” The same is true for tea brewed in Alabama, peanut butter processed in Oklahoma and potato chips cooked and bagged in Virginia. As local-food sales grow into a $20 billion industry, a USA TODAY Network investigation found that state-branding programs designed to inform consumers and support local farmers are deceptive and virtually unregulated. Most state food-branding programs certify products as "local" even if half the ingredients come from another state or country. Many states have no minimum ingredient requirement.