Monday, May 26, 2008
When walking down the aisles at the grocery store or farmer’s market, you will ask yourself, why buy organic? Now more than ever, organic food has become extremely popular, and yet many people do not know the difference between organic food and regular food. The USDA has established regulation for organic food regarding handling, growing and production standards.
Foods that contain organic ingredients are labeled as follows:
• 100% organic - single ingredient such as a fruit, vegetable, meat, milk and cheese
• Organic - 95 to 100% organic
• Made with organic ingredients - 70% of the ingredients are organic
• Contains organic ingredients - less than 70% organic ingredients
Organic foods are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage and are processed without food additives. On organic farms, livestock are raised without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Regular or processed foods are not held to this type of regulation. Another added benefit - organic farming practices are designed to benefit the environment by reducing pollution and conserving water and soil. Due to more expensive farming practices and government regulations, however, organic food usually costs more than conventional food products. When buying organic foods, look for the USDA Organic label—only foods in the categories ‘100% organic’ and ‘organic’ may display the USDA Organic Seal. You may see other terms on food labels, such as “all-natural,” “free-range” or “hormone-free.” Only those foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic. I caution you to read food labels carefully, though. Just because a product says it’s organic or contains organic ingredients doesn’t mean it’s a healthy food. Some organic products may still be high in sugar, salt, fat or calories.
