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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I determine if my produce was organic?

If you want to make sure that you are buying organic produce, look for these three labels:

USDA Organic Certified – Produced by USDA and certified as 100% organic.

Certified Naturally Grown is produce that has met strict organic requirements but not yet been certified by the USDA.

Pastured/Free range - These are animals that live outside and graze freely on grasses and herbs.

These labels are used to indicate that the product meets specified criteria.

• No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides
• There are no genetically modified organisms
• No antibiotics are ever given to the animal
• Animals are not ever given hormones.
• There are no growth-promoting drugs
• No feed additives
• No artificial ingredients
• No irradiation
• No sewage effluent
• GMOs prohibited
• Antibiotics have never been administered
• No hormones ever given
• No growth-promoting drug
• No feed-additives
• No artificial ingredients
• No sewage effluent (if it isn't a GMO).
• No irradiation

I hope you found the article useful.

Why should I choose organic?

The health risks of conventional agriculture include asthma, allergies and diabetes. It is important to make informed choices about food purchases.

Here are some tips from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

When possible, buy organic fruits and veggies

Look for USDA organic labels on meat, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and honey.

Avoid processed foods that claim to be "natural" and "no additives."

Carefully review ingredient lists. If an ingredient isn’t listed, it might be added during processing.

You should choose fresh meats rather than frozen or canned. Canned and frozen foods can often have lower nutritional content like high fructose syrup.

What is inorganic food?

Organic food does not use pesticides or fertilizers. These chemicals can cause health problems in organic foods.

Organic food is grown naturally without harmful substances such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. These chemicals may cause damage to animals as well as humans.

Inorganic foods are meats, fishes, eggs, buttermilk, cheese, yogurt and honey as well as vegetables, fruits and spices.

The term organic refers to the way an agricultural product is grown. For example, organic farming uses natural methods and soil amendments to grow crops, while conventional farming uses synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), must ensure that organic food meets strict standards. All organic food must comply with the National Organic Program Standards. This means that it must not contain prohibited materials like antibiotics, growth hormones or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as industrial solvents. Organic food must be grown without the use of toxic chemicals or petroleum-based fertilizers.

Statistics

• As for organic meat, regulations require that animals be raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviours (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones. (usda.gov)
• According to a study performed by consumerreports.org, organic products, compared to non-organic products, ranged anywhere from 13 percent cheaper to 303 percent more expensive. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Once certified by the USDA, it can fall into one of four categories: "100 percent organic", "organic," "made with organic ingredients," or "made with less than 70 percent organic ingredients. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Popular clothing brands, like Patagonia, are labelled as organic by using 100 percent organic cotton for many of their styles. (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

ota.com

• OTA


• U.S. Organic Sales grew to an all-time high of $62 billion in 2020

ecfr.gov

• eCFR -: Home

ams.usda.gov

• Home


• Agricultural Marketing Service

doi.org

• The link between occupational pesticide exposure and cancer risk: A review: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part B. Vol 15, No 4.


• Genetically modified food safety and public concerns: a review by Journal of Food Science and Technology

How To

Organic foods: Are they healthier and more nutritious than conventional food?

Organic foods are grown without the use chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. They are grown in natural conditions and without the use of any artificial inputs like fungicides or herbicides. Organic farming practices include crop rotation, cover crops, composting animal manure, recycling wastewater, and integrated pest management (IPM).

In 2002, the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), was established to regulate the sale, purchase, labelling, production, and distribution of organic products in the United States. NOP regulations ensure organic agricultural products conform to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Furthermore, the NOP rules require organic products to be free of banned substances such as pesticides residues and growth hormones.

In the U.S., there are two types of certification programs available for producers who want their products labelled "organic": one for farmers and ranchers and another for manufacturers. Both programs require an annual audit of the operations in order to confirm compliance with stringent standards. Several certifying agents offer these services, including CCOF Certified Organic Farmers & Ranchers, Quality Assurance International, and the American Grassfed Association. Each of these organizations provides third-party verification to verify that farms are following strict guidelines in regards to environmental stewardship, labour practices and care for livestock.

According to USDA’s Economic Research Service, organic farming accounted for $4.7Billion in 2013 sales. It was a 23 percent rise in retail spending for certified organic products since 2009. Sales at grocery stores were up 12 percent during this period. Spending on organic produce was up 29 percent, but only 1 percent on meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy.

While organic food costs more, consumers say its quality justifies the added expense. Consumer Reports found that 88 per cent of respondents would be willing to pay more for organic food if the nutritional value was higher. Health Affairs also published a study showing that organic foods are less likely for people to get heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or obesity.

Although there is no evidence eating organic foods prevents or treats any diseases, some studies suggest that consuming them might improve overall health by reducing exposure to specific contaminants and pesticides. A review of 31 studies that were published in 2010 found that organically raised beef has significantly lower levels than conventionally raised beef. A separate analysis of 11 studies published in 2012 reached similar conclusions.

The Environmental Working Group's 2014 report examined data from the Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. It found that foodborne illnesses caused by E.coli, salmonella and listeria monocytogenes and verotoxin producing E.coli O157:H7 declined when organic and non-organic chickens, meat, lamb, dairy, and cheese were compared. The Environmental Working Group also found that E.coli O157 has been associated with fewer human illnesses in children and adults since 2006, when USDA began requiring stricter organic standards for animal production.