Healthy living has generated a natural food trend. Knowing the definitions and regulations for 'organic' can help consumers confused by marketing and labels.
What Does Organic Mean?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) , through its National Organic Program (NOP), regulates all agricultural products’ claims of being organic. Unless certified by the USDA, products cannot be marketed as organic. The Organic Foods Production Act stipulates requirements for certification, prohibited and permitted ingredients, and processes that allow an item to be called organic. Organic implies that crop production and livestock management meet USDA set standards of organic agriculture production and handling. Fundamentally, organic crops are produced without the use of common fertilizers, including petroleum-based and sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals are given only organic feed, have access to the outdoors, and are not given growth hormones or antibiotics.
Reading the Label
As healthy living becomes more popular, many consumers may be confused by what makes a product organic. Regulations dictate the use of certain terms and packaging associated with organic products. It is important to know the difference between products that can and cannot use the USDA’s seal and claim they are organic.
100% Organic means that a product has been certified as containing only organically produced ingredients, with the exception of water and salt (which are not themselves agriculturally produced products, so cannot be certified organic under the NOP).
Organic means that a product has been certified as containing 95% organically produced ingredients, with the exception of water and salt. The other 5% of ingredients must be on the allowed list and must be products not currently produced organically for the commercial market.
Made with Organic Ingredients means that the processed product bearing this label contains 70% organically produced ingredients. These products can additionally list up to three ingredients on the package that are organically produced along with the percentage of organic ingredients, however packaging cannot use the USDA seal.
Products that contain less than the 70% organic requirement cannot display the term organic on its labeling, however it can list organically-produced products in the ingredients.
The above terms are the only ones regulated by the USDA. Any products with these terms on their label must indicate which ingredients are organically produced and by whom they were certified.
While language and packaging for the term organic are strictly regulated, other terms used in marketing are not, and essentially have no official meaning. Because the specifics of organic regulation may not be commonly known, it can be hard for the average consumer to wade through all the hype to find products that are actually produced using sustainable, earth-friendly methods.
Small organic markets are becoming more commonplace and accessible to the average consumer. Mainstream grocery stores are also integrating organic products, but consumers should always read labels wherever they shop. With a basic understanding of terms, conscientious consumers can take responsibility for what they buy and do their small part to protect the earth.
