What exactly is organic food, and when did some food stop being organic?
The term "organic" refers to methods for growing and processing food. For plants, this means that most pesticides are not used. Farmers also try to ensure that the soil is rich in nutrients, but there are no clear standards for this. For animals, the term "organic" means that no antibiotics are administered to them. Organic ranchers try to feed their livestock nutritious food, but there are very few standards for what constitutes "nutritious" feed. For both plants and animals, in order to be organic they cannot be genetically modified. It is not always clear what constitutes a "genetically modified organism."
These standards and definitions of organic food are vague and confusing. Unfortunately, they were the only rules governing organic food in the 1990s and early 2000s. In an effort to establish clearer standards and ensure that products labeled "organic" were actually organic, the United States government conducted several studies.
In October 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began enforcing the standards that foods must meet in order to be labeled "organic." These National Organic Standards impose four key requirements.
The first requirement is that all farmers and other parties handling organic food must have an "Organic Handling Plan" that describes their management practices in detail. Farmers and food handlers must produce this plan if the organic quality of their food is questioned.
The second requirement is that the land on which organic foods are grown cannot have had toxic chemical pesticides or fertilizers applied during the past three years. This requirement applies to organic fruits and vegetables, not organic meats.
The third requirement is that farmers must maintain records of the materials and methods used in producing their food products. These records have to be fairly detailed, and describe not only how the plants and animals are raised but also how they are processed.
The fourth requirement is that producers of organic foods must allow third-party inspectors who have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine their materials, methods, and facilities every year.
In order to label their products "organic," food producers must meet all four of these requirements. The USDA allows four different categories of labels for organic food that meets its requirements.
The first label is "100% Organic." This is a very rigid standard that means exactly what it says. The food product must consist entirely of organic ingredients that have met USDA requirements.
The second label is "Organic." This means that the product must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. There are several restrictions on the remaining 5% of the product. The most notable of these requirements is that the product cannot contain any genetically modified ingredients.
The third label is "Made with Organic Ingredients." This means that the product must contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients. There are also several restrictions on the other ingredients. The most stringent of these requirements is that there cannot be any genetically modified ingredients.
The fourth category of label is listing specific organic ingredients that go into the food product. The word "organic" cannot appear on the front of the packaging of these products, however. Any list of the organic ingredients must appear on the side panel of the product.
In principle, the rules governing organic food in the United States are very strict. There are several problems with them, though. In actual practice, most organic fruits, vegetables, and meats are not as pure and natural as they claim to be.
Take a closer look at the four requirements for organic food. The second requirement is that the land on which organic fruits and vegetables are grown cannot have had certain toxic chemicals applied during the previous three years. Many organic crops are produced by relatively small farms. These farms frequently border other farms that may not raise organic fruits and vegetables. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers from non-organic farms can easily runoff onto the fields of organic farmers.
Even though the records of farms that raise organic produce may not show the purchase or application of toxic chemicals, these substances may still affect their crops. A consumer who buys organic produce may actually be getting a plant that came in contact with chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Another problem with the USDA requirements is that the three year standard is somewhat arbitrary. While many toxic chemicals will wash out of the soil within three years, others will remain. Also, it is difficult to determine which pesticides and fertilizers are toxic. For example, DDT is generally considered "toxic," although the evidence shows that it is not harmful to humans.
I hope this encourages you to think more about "organic" food. Be skeptical about any claims the food providers make, and do not be afraid to decide for yourself which food is healthiest.
To read more about organic food, check out this book:
"How the Left Stole the Environmental Movement" by Eric Lawrence and Darren Russell
The term "organic" refers to methods for growing and processing food. For plants, this means that most pesticides are not used. Farmers also try to ensure that the soil is rich in nutrients, but there are no clear standards for this. For animals, the term "organic" means that no antibiotics are administered to them. Organic ranchers try to feed their livestock nutritious food, but there are very few standards for what constitutes "nutritious" feed. For both plants and animals, in order to be organic they cannot be genetically modified. It is not always clear what constitutes a "genetically modified organism."
These standards and definitions of organic food are vague and confusing. Unfortunately, they were the only rules governing organic food in the 1990s and early 2000s. In an effort to establish clearer standards and ensure that products labeled "organic" were actually organic, the United States government conducted several studies.
In October 2002, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began enforcing the standards that foods must meet in order to be labeled "organic." These National Organic Standards impose four key requirements.
The first requirement is that all farmers and other parties handling organic food must have an "Organic Handling Plan" that describes their management practices in detail. Farmers and food handlers must produce this plan if the organic quality of their food is questioned.
The second requirement is that the land on which organic foods are grown cannot have had toxic chemical pesticides or fertilizers applied during the past three years. This requirement applies to organic fruits and vegetables, not organic meats.
The third requirement is that farmers must maintain records of the materials and methods used in producing their food products. These records have to be fairly detailed, and describe not only how the plants and animals are raised but also how they are processed.
The fourth requirement is that producers of organic foods must allow third-party inspectors who have been approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine their materials, methods, and facilities every year.
In order to label their products "organic," food producers must meet all four of these requirements. The USDA allows four different categories of labels for organic food that meets its requirements.
The first label is "100% Organic." This is a very rigid standard that means exactly what it says. The food product must consist entirely of organic ingredients that have met USDA requirements.
The second label is "Organic." This means that the product must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. There are several restrictions on the remaining 5% of the product. The most notable of these requirements is that the product cannot contain any genetically modified ingredients.
The third label is "Made with Organic Ingredients." This means that the product must contain a minimum of 70% organic ingredients. There are also several restrictions on the other ingredients. The most stringent of these requirements is that there cannot be any genetically modified ingredients.
The fourth category of label is listing specific organic ingredients that go into the food product. The word "organic" cannot appear on the front of the packaging of these products, however. Any list of the organic ingredients must appear on the side panel of the product.
In principle, the rules governing organic food in the United States are very strict. There are several problems with them, though. In actual practice, most organic fruits, vegetables, and meats are not as pure and natural as they claim to be.
Take a closer look at the four requirements for organic food. The second requirement is that the land on which organic fruits and vegetables are grown cannot have had certain toxic chemicals applied during the previous three years. Many organic crops are produced by relatively small farms. These farms frequently border other farms that may not raise organic fruits and vegetables. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers from non-organic farms can easily runoff onto the fields of organic farmers.
Even though the records of farms that raise organic produce may not show the purchase or application of toxic chemicals, these substances may still affect their crops. A consumer who buys organic produce may actually be getting a plant that came in contact with chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Another problem with the USDA requirements is that the three year standard is somewhat arbitrary. While many toxic chemicals will wash out of the soil within three years, others will remain. Also, it is difficult to determine which pesticides and fertilizers are toxic. For example, DDT is generally considered "toxic," although the evidence shows that it is not harmful to humans.
I hope this encourages you to think more about "organic" food. Be skeptical about any claims the food providers make, and do not be afraid to decide for yourself which food is healthiest.
To read more about organic food, check out this book:
"How the Left Stole the Environmental Movement" by Eric Lawrence and Darren Russell
