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Decoding organic food labels

So, you’ve made the commitment to eat more organic food, (you smart, health-and-eco-minded person, you) and are actively searching for items labeled as “organic.” But what does “organic” mean on a food label, and how do you know what you’re getting? The answer is both simpler, and more complicated, than it may appear.

The USDA set up standards for the labeling of organic food in 2002. “Organically grown” is defined as being grown without chemical pesticides, added hormones or antibiotics and not genetically modified (GMO).

An item labeled “organic” must contain a minimum of 95 percent ingredients (by weight) that are organically grown/produced – from farms or ranches that are certified by a USDA-accredited state or private third party.

Items labeled “100-percent organic” must contain only organically produced ingredients, with the exceptions of water and salt. Only items in the 95-percent-and-above range can carry the green and white USDA Organic seal.

Foods that are 70- to 94-percent organic may use labeling that says “Made with organic ingredients” and must specify which ingredients are organic in the nutrition information.

That’s the simple part. If all you are concerned about is the percentage of “organic” in packaged, store-bought food, it’s all you really need to know.

Where it gets more complicated is in the USDA’s definition and regulation of “organic agriculture” – along with their co-opting of the word “organic” and the high cost of third-party certification that keeps many small and local producers from qualifying.

The original impetus behind organic labeling standards began in 1990, when Congress responded to consumer concerns by passing the Organic Foods Production Act, which established the US National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). In good bureaucratic tradition (and language), the NOSB took five years to define organic agriculture as (in part):

“…an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.”

By that definition you’d assume “organically grown” also means “sustainably grown,” but the USDA does not regulate the long-term sustainability of organic farms and ranches. Most organic farms and ranches do use sustainable practices as part of their ethos and business model, but it is not necessarily a given – and no one at the USDA is checking.

Many small and local farmers – such as those seen at local farmer’s markets – adhere to both organic and sustainable practices but choose for financial reasons (or on anti-bureaucratic principles) to forgo the expensive and paperwork-laden USDA certification process. They may or may not choose to abide by the USDA labeling standards.

Some will refer to their food as “organic” if it meets the standard but is not certified. Others may choose to say things like “grown without pesticides, hormones or antibiotics” to avoid transgressing the letter of law.

There is also an alternative grassroots certification process called “Certified Naturally Grown,” run by a nonprofit that directs its services at small-scale, direct-market farmers. You may see their logo on some items. They use the USDA organic standards as their starting point and add sustainability issues to the requirements, so the CNG label indicates the food is both organic and sustainably produced.

Don’t let labeling politics put you off. Whether at the grocery or the farmer’s market, buy organic whenever you can afford to – it’s better for you and encourages stores to stock more organics and more farms and ranches to switch to sustainable practices, which will bring the prices down.

 

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