What Does “Organic” Mean? A Primer.

The term “organic” seems to be one of those “in” things that keeps cropping up on TV food commercials and product labels.  But what exactly does “organic” mean?

Contented cows?  Butterflies gliding slowly over green fields of clover?  Close, but not exactly.

In order to be classified as “organic” by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and be able to display the organic logo, a farm or food processing facility must be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agency.  The name and address of the certifying agent must be displayed on the information panel.

Under the requirements of the USDA’s National Organic Program, the certifying agencies verify that:

For plant-based foods, they must have been grown:

• Without the aid of genetic engineering,
• Without the use of ionizing radiation,
• Without the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer,
• Without pesticides not allowed for organic agriculture (note that this implies that some pesticides ARE allowed for organic agriculture).

For meats, it must have been raised:

• Without the use of antibiotics,
• Without the use of growth hormones,
• By being fed an organic diet (note that “organic diet” is still a pretty broad term).

For food products that contain multiple ingredients, the USDA has 4 distinct categories:

1. “100% Organic.” In order to be labeled “100% Organic,” all of the ingredients in the food (excluding water and salt) and all of the processing aids used to process the food must be organic.  If these conditions are met, the USDA “Organic” logo can be displayed on the package.
2. “Organic.” A food labeled “Organic” means that the product contains between 95 to 99% organic ingredients.  The ingredients that are not organic must have been approved by the USDA’s National Organic Program.  If these conditions are met, the product can display the USDA “Organic” logo on the package.
3. “Made with Organic Ingredients.“  Foods “Made with Organic Ingredients” must contain between 70 to 94% organic ingredients.  Up to 3 of these organic ingredients can be listed on the front of the package.  However, the package cannot display the USDA’s “Organic” logo.
4. All others. Food products with less than 70% organic ingredients can only list the organic ingredients on the information panel of the package.  They cannot use the USDA’s Organic logo and no other “organic” claims can be made.

Note that the USDA does not regulate or restrict the use of other food labeling claims such as:

• “Free Range”
• “No Drugs or Growth Hormones Used”
• “Hormone-Free”
• “Sustainably Harvested”
• “Pesticide-Free”

These are marketing or advertising claims and would fall under the “Truth in Advertising Act” administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Although a civil penalty of up to $11,000 can be levied on any person who knowingly sells or labels as “organic” any product that does not comply with National Organic Program requirements, the chances of getting caught, especially for small operators, are pretty slim.  The USDA’s National Organic Program is a good step-in-the-right-direction and the majority of the large, brand-name food manufacturers and processors who have national reputations to uphold comply with the program pretty closely.  However, for the rest of the food industry, you still need a healthy dose of  “Buyer Beware.”

The best way to know you’re purchasing real organic products is to get to know your supplier.  If you purchase from local farmers or co-ops, don’t hesitate to ask the hard questions or to even request a visit to the farm(s).  Don’t take their claims at face value.  Ask to see proof.  Reputable dealers will be very up-front and open about their operations.  It’s the people that won’t look you in the eye, won’t fully answer your questions and act shady that probably have something to hide.

Although there’s still plenty of controversy about whether or not organically produced food is any better for you nutritionally than commercially prepared food, for many people, the choice is to go with organic whenever they can.  Hopefully this article will help make sure that you’re getting what you’re paying for.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and
Personal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – for a limited time.  Just click on the title to be taken to the download page.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: nutrition, organic, diet, food, growth hormone, pesticide, USDA, National Organic Program, NOP

Related Reading:

Environment: The Science behind the Stories (4th Edition)

Environment: The Science behind the Stories captures your interest with a revolutionary new approach to environmental science. ... Read More >

EnvironmentA Journey into Environmental Science

Just as a Global Positioning System helps you steer your car through systems of roads and highways, Enviro... Read More >

Everything Kids' Environment Book: Learn how you can help the environment-by getting involved at school, at home, or at playEverything we do has an impact on the world around us--from the clothes we wear and food we eat to the gardens we grow and the trash we throw away. An... Read More >

Related posts:

1. When to Go Organic
2. Review of the USDA “Food Atlas”