Organic Facts
USDA ORGANIC FOOD LABEL
On October 21, 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began enforcing a national set of standards governing use of the term "organic" on food labels. For the first time, consumers throughout the country will see a standard label and trust that the labeled product meets a minimum standard. What does this mean to you, a consumer of organic food?
According to the USDA, foods labeled "100 percent organic" must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients.
Products labeled "organic" must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients.
Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "made with organic ingredients" and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel. What are the requirements for getting certified as an organic food producer?
The farm must use only approved materials that will not harm humans, animals, or soil life. It must develop an organic farm management plan, keep detailed records, and be inspected annually by an accredited certification agency. All companies that manufacture organic food products must follow similar strict requirements.
Also, the USDA's organic program regulations prohibit the use of all of the following potentially unhealthy materials and practices:
TOXIC SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS
A farm field must be free of these chemicals for at least 3 years before a certified organic crop can be grown on it.
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED (GE) SEEDS OR OTHER MATERIALS
Many nonorganic products now contain GE foods. Because the government has so far refused to require labeling of GE foods, the only way you can avoid them for sure is to buy certified organic products.
SEWAGE SLUDGE
Organic farmers would love to recycle human wastes safely into fertilizers for their soils, but this will not be possible until the nation has a sewage collection system that keeps toxic chemicals and heavy metals from contaminating sewage sludge (sometimes referred to as "biosolids"). For now, however, the USDA prohibits the use of sewage sludge in the production of organic food. Sewage sludge is widely used by nonorganic farmers.
FRESH MANURE
For years, organic farmers have voluntarily followed proper animal-care and manure-composting techniques to protect against transmitting food-borne illnesses. The new rules make those voluntary practices mandatory and will require a waiting period, probably 90 or 120 days, between the application of raw manure and the harvest of any organic crops that are likely to be eaten raw. Conventional farmers, who also use lots of raw manure because of its low cost, in contrast are not governed by any national restrictions on the use of raw manure.
ANIMAL CONFINEMENT
The new rules will require that organic eggs, meat, and dairy products come from animals that are given feed that's 100 percent organic. In most cases they will require that the animals be given access to the outdoors and pastures and will forbid the severe confinement conditions often used in nonorganic factory farms.
IRRADIATION
The USDA's organic rules ban the controversial technology of exposing food to radiation to kill microorganisms. Meat producers are beginning to irradiate non-organic meat because unsanitary conditions in animal food factories are contaminating beef and poultry with food-borne diseases organisms.
ANTIBIOTICS AND GROWTH HORMONES
Nonorganic meat and dairy products are produced using controversial synthetic growth hormones, including the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, which forces dairy cows to produce more milk, and several beef growth hormones that are banned in other countries. Also, disease problems are so severe in these food factories that growers routinely overuse antibiotics on the animals. The national organic rules prohibit the use of antibiotics and synthetic hormones in meat and dairy animals that are certified organic.
What is the definition of Organic?
The following definition of "organic" was passed by the NOSB at its April 1995 meeting in Orlando, FL.
"Organic agriculture is 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."
'Organic' is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.
Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.
PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE NEW USDA FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR
CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTION
USDA Highlights
Questions and Answers about Organic
What is organic?
Organic refers to the way agricultural products-food and fiber-are grown and processed. Organic food production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.
Is there an official definition of "organic"?
The following excerpt is from the definition of "organic" that the National Organic Standards Board adopted in April 1995: "Organic agriculture is 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."
What does "Certified Organic" mean?
"Certified Organic" means the item has been grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent state or private organizations. Certification includes inspections of farm fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping, and periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the standards which have been set.
Can any type of agricultural product become certified organic?
Yes, any agricultural product that meets third-party or state certification requirements may be considered organic. Organic foods are becoming available in an impressive variety, including pasta, prepared sauces, frozen juices, frozen meals, milk, ice cream and frozen novelties, cereals, meat, poultry, breads, soups, chocolate, cookies, beer, wine, vodka and more. These foods, in order to be certified organic, have all been grown and processed according to organic standards and must maintain a high level of quality. Organic fiber products, too, have moved beyond T-shirts, and include bed and bath linens, tablecloths, napkins, cosmetic puffs, feminine hygiene products, and men's, women's and children's clothing in a wide variety of styles.
Who regulates the certified organic claims?
The federal government set standards for the production, processing and certification of organic food in the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA). The National Organic Standards Board was then established to develop guidelines and procedures to regulate all organic crops. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during December 2000 unveiled detailed regulations to implement OFPA. These took effect on April 21, 2001, with an 18-month implementation period ending October 2002. At that time, any food labeled organic must meet these national organic standards. USDA's National Organic Program oversees the program.
Are all organic products completely free of pesticide residues?
Certified organic products have been grown and handled according to strict standards without toxic and persistent chemical inputs. However, organic crops are inadvertently exposed to agricultural chemicals that are now pervasive in rain and ground water due to their overuse during the past fifty years in North America, and due to drift via wind and rain.
Do organic farmers ever use pesticides?
Prevention is the organic farmer's primary strategy for disease, weed, and insect control. By building healthy soils, organic farmers find that healthy plants are better able to resist disease and insects. Organic producers often select species that are well adapted for the climate and therefore resist disease and pests. When pest populations get out of balance, growers will try various options like insect predators, mating disruption, traps, and barriers. If these fail, permission may be granted by the certifier to apply botanical or other nonpersistent pest controls under restricted conditions. Botanicals are derived from plants and are broken down quickly by oxygen and sunlight.
How will purchasing organic products help keep our water clean?
Conventional agricultural methods can cause water contamination. Beginning in May 1995, a network of environmental organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, began testing tap water for herbicides in cities across the United States' Corn Belt, and in Louisiana and Maryland. The results revealed widespread contamination of tap water with many different pesticides at levels that present serious health risks. In some cities, herbicides in tap water exceed federal lifetime health standards for weeks or months at a time. The organic farmer's elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, in combination with soil building, works to prevent contamination, and protects and conserves water resources.
Is organic food better for you?
There is no conclusive evidence at this time to suggest that organically produced foods are more nutritious. Rather, organic foods and fiber are spared the application of toxic and persistent insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. In the long run, organic farming techniques provide a safer, more sustainable environment for everyone.
Why does organic food sometimes cost more?
Prices for organic foods reflect many of the same costs as conventional items in terms of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. Organically produced foods must meet stricter regulations governing all of these steps, so the process is often more labor- and management-intensive, and farming tends to be on a smaller scale. There is also mounting evidence that if all the indirect costs of conventional food production-cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of health care for farmers and their workers-were factored into the price of food, organic foods would cost the same or, more likely, be cheaper.
Isn't organic food just a fad?
No. U. S. sales of organic food totaled $5.4 billion in 1998, about $6.5 billion in 1999, and reached nearly $7.8 billion in 2000. The market has grown 20%-24% annually during the 1990s. The adoption of national standards for certification is expected to open up new markets for U. S. organic producers. Internationally, organic sales continue to grow as well.
The Organic Trade Association is the leading business association representing the organic industry in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its more than 1200 members include growers, processors, shippers, retailers, certification organizations and others involved in the business of producing and selling certified organic products.
2001, Organic Trade Association
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This page was last updated: March 3, 2008
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