What does organic mean?
The USDA is in charge of making sure that foods with the organic label meet the following guidelines:
- Produce must be grown without man-made pesticide, fertilizers, sewage sludge or irradiation.
- Produce must be grown from seeds that have not been genetically modified.
- Animals that are raised organically, including milking cows and egg- laying chickens, must eat organic feed, must not receive antibiotics, and must have access to the out doors.
- Grains must be grown without use of toxic and persistent pesticides, fertilizers without artificial preservatives, irradiation or genetic engineering.
- Processed /packaged foods labeled “100% organic” must contain all organically produced ingredients, including no artificial sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup, or trans fat.
- Processed /packaged foods labeled “organic” must contain 95% percent organic ingredients; remaining ingredients must be approved for use in organic products.
- Processed/ packaged foods labeled “made with organic ingredients” must contain 70% percent organic ingredients.
I hope this clarifies what organic really means and educates you so that you are eating as healthy as you intend to.
