If you live in the US you’ve probably seen different sections in the grocery store for organic and conventional foods. So what is the difference?
What most people understand organic to mean is food produced without the use of any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The opposite of that is conventionally produced food, which uses all kinds of substances to artificially boost production. But really, the definition of organic goes way beyond pesticides and fertilizers.
When you see an organic food label in the US, it means that the food is not irradiated, genetically modified, does not have artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. If the product is from animals, an organic label means the product does not have any hormones, antibiotics and the animal was not raised in a cage.
There are also requirements for how organic produce is grown such as how the soil is treated, how pests and diseases are dealt with, what types of seeds and seedlings can be used and how the food is handled.
For livestock with the organic label they have to be fed only organic feed, have access to the out of doors, clean water, sunlight and the ability to move freely. This is no the same as free range however, or the term grass fed, or cage free.
You may have noticed that some labels say “organic” while others say “100% Organic” or “Made with Organic Ingredients.” The different labels relate to the different percentages of organic ingredients. So obviously if something says it is 100% organic, then all its ingredients have to be organic, but if it just says “Organic”, up to 5% by weight of the ingredients could be non-organic. For example if a loaf of bread is made with organic flour, but uses baking powder, which is not organic, then it could still be labeled organic. The only requirement for the remaining 5%is that it can’t be genetically modified. For food that says “Made with Organic Ingredients, that means that 70% of the ingredients are Organic. Now, even if some ingredients under the organic label aren’t organic, they still have to be on a list of approved ingredients by the FDA, and the producer has to prove that there is no commercially available organic alternative.
The certification for a farm to be organic can take up to three years and thousands of dollars. As you can imagine, not all farms can afford that, especially since a producer can’t sell at the organic while it’s in the process of being certified. This means that while the stall at your local farmers market may not be able to say they are certified organic, they may be more qualified for the label than ones that are certified.
The other health label that you probably see often is “All Natural” or “Natural”. This word actually isn’t regulated unless it is put on eggs or meat. In that case the USDA says it means “minimally processed and containing no artificial ingredients.” What minimally processed means I guess is open to interpretation, but it doesn’t really matter on things like peanut butter or fruit because it isn’t regulated anyways.
As you can imagine, this has made a lot of people frustrated that the all natural products they choose aren’t necessarily any better for them than conventional products.
When we go to the grocery store we can be overwhelmed with all the choices but the one thing we don’t have is a transparent production trail. Unless it’s a farmers market , we are so disconnected from the place, people, animals and plants that make the food that we have to rely heavily on labels. While it’s good that the organic certification exists, are the companies that produce organic doing it for the right reasons, or are they just trying to make more money? Will knowing what makes a food product organic change your buying habits?
Let me know what you think in the comments section below and thanks for watching.
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