While the Organic Foods Production Act is a very strong piece of legislation that helps protect both consumers and the environment, understanding its labeling provisions is a key to making decisions about organically certified foods. Some organizations have been very critical of the labeling rules set forth in the organics program and have described this labeling process as a “loophole” in the organics law. While it is true that some companies have tried to take advantage of the labeling regulations, it is also true that many companies have followed through with the spirit of the organics law and gone beyond labeling requirements in their organic food production. Here are the basics that you need to know when reading organic labels:
The USDA’s green organic logo can be placed on the front of a pre-packaged, organically produced food as long as the food contents of the package are 95% organic by net weight. For example, in a boxed breakfast cereal containing 12 ounces of cereal and displaying the green organic logo on the front of the box, 95% of the cereal ingredients, or 11.4 ounces, would have to be organic. The other half an ounce (or more precisely, 0.6 ounces) could be composed of non-organic ingredients. This non-organic 5% of the cereal could include genetically engineered foods, irradiated foods, or foods sprayed with synthetic pesticides-even though none of those components are allowed within the organics law. Even though I dislike this provision in the organics law that allows 5% of a pre-packaged product to be non-organic and still display the USDA green organic symbol, I believe it is much better for our health and the health of our planet to have a product that is 95% organic than have no legislation at all.
It’s important to remember that whole, fresh, natural foods-like the kind we emphasize on our World’s Healthiest Foods website-do not usually fall victim to any complicated labeling regulations. When you buy fresh organic produce-like apples, or kale, or broccoli-and when you buy organic almonds, or lentils, or brown rice, you can be confident that you are buying a 100% organic food. When there is no packaging involved and when there is only one “ingredient,” the organic labeling regulations don’t really come into play. Under these circumstances, what you are purchasing-a single food in its natural, unpackaged state-is 100% organic.
In the case of foods like frozen blueberries, or canned garbanzo beans, the producer of the food will often state “100% organic” on the front of the package or can. In the case of 100% organic, all aspects of certified organic production apply to all ingredients. Certified organic production and handling prohibit the use of most conventional pesticides, petroleum or sewage-sludge based fertilizers, bioengineering (e.g., genetically modified seeds), or ionizing radiation. Organic meats, chicken, and turkey come from animals that are fed organic feed, have access to the outdoors, and are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.
Sometimes a manufacturer wants to display the name of one key ingredient on the front of a food package. For example, the manufacturer of a tomato sauce may want to write, “Contains organic tomatoes” on the front of the can. In this case, the organics labeling rules state that the product must be 70% organic by weight in order for an organic ingredient to be promoted on the front of the package. (In this case, of course, 30% of the weight of the product could be composed of non-organic ingredients.) If a pre-packaged product does not contain at least 70% organic ingredients by weight, the manufacturer is not allowed to write anything on the front of the package about its organic content. Only the side and back of the packaging can be used to describe organic content when a pre-packaged food is less than 70% organic by weight.
Listed below is a brief summary of these organic labeling regulations:
- Food that is 100% organic may carry the “USDA organic” logo and say “100% organic”
- Food that is at least 95% organic may carry the organic logo
- Food that is at least 70% organic can list the organic ingredients on the front of the package
- If a product is less than 70% organic, the organic ingredients may be listed on the side or back of the package but cannot be listed on the front.
- When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce can be very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and a number of other things—but what’s the difference, really? Learning what specific names mean can help you decide if you should shell out extra money on a product of it is simply a marketing ploy.Natural is a turn associated with a number of fruit and vegetable product. Typically, this is simple a marketing ploy to convince you to buy the product. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural. What you really probably want is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore healthy more healthy foods. However, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Instead, opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure that you rinse off the food when you get home.Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise function. All meat products have hormones. What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safe for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.Lastly, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. This does not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, but is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make human decisions, that is the way to go. Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make the best choices for you diet. However these days I am looking for organic foods as I am being more conscious about the food which I am ingesting and being more conscious about our environment.If you all find organic food is expensive then at-least go for organic fruits and vegetables. To be continued…why one should eat organic foods.
