Organic -- What Does It Mean?

 Organic farming refers to agricultural production (food and clothing) without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.  Additionally, in order to be classified as organic, foods must be minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation.  By definition, organic foods are not genetically altered.  However, even this has become an issue because of cross pollination.

100 Percent Organic - According to the USDA's national organic standard, products labeled "100 percent organic" can only contain organically produced ingredients.  Products containing 100% organic ingredients can display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifying agent's logo.

Organic - To be labeled as organic 95% of of the ingredients must be organically grown, and the remining 5% must come from approved nonorganic ingredients. These products may also display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifier's logo.

Made with Organic Ingredients - Food products labeled "made with organic ingredients" must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the back of the package, and the remaining 30% of the nonorganic ingredients must be from an approved list.  These products may display the certifier's logo but not the USDA organic logo.

Organic certification includes inspection of the fields and processing facilities; it includes periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that standards are met.  This does not mean that pesticides are never used, but it does mean that when pesticides are deemed necessary, permission may be granted by the certifying organization to apply botanical or other nonpersistent pest controls under restricted conditions.  Botanical pesticides are derived from plants and are broked down much more rapidly than traditional pesticides.

Unfortunately, since government regulations control the certificiation of organic products, even the term "organic" means less than it did years ago.  Many of the largest organic brands are now owned and operated by the same big corporations that sell regular brands and junk foods.  The following website created by Phil Howard at Michigan State University includes a variety of charts that identiful which corporations own which organic brands: http:/www.msu.edu/~howard/organicindustry.html.

Whenever you can find local, organic growers or participate in a co-op where you know the sources of the food you eat, you will have even greater insurance of its quality.  If this is not possible, make sure the organic products you purchase have certification logos.

Fore more tips on toxin-free living, check out Sharyn Wynter's THE PURE CURE.