In the News - May 2008
What does 'Certified Organic' really mean?
TEXARKANA, Ark. - Buying organic is becoming more and more popular as some
worry about the health and safety of the foods they eat. But what does it mean
for a food to be organic?
According to the National Organic Program of the USDA, organic meat, poultry,
eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or
growth hormones.
Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides,
fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewer sludge, bioengineering or
ionizing radiation.
"For a food to be certified as organic, the product must come from a farm and
processing plant that is certified as organic," says Carla Haley, Miller County
extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
"This means they go through an inspection process from certified government
officials that ensure organic farms are up to the USDA organic standards," she
says.
It's the responsibility of the inspectors to assure that only organic methods
are used and that there is no impact on the environment, such as contamination
from pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or other non-organic compounds.
Just as food labels must meet standards to say that they are "heart healthy,"
organic foods must meet standards to make the claim that they are organic. The
labeling requirements are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a
product.
Haley says the following definitions and facts can help you understand
organic food labels better:
- Agricultural products labeled "100 percent organic" must contain
all organically grown ingredients and processing aids.
- Products labeled "organic" must contain at least 95 percent
organically produced ingredients, except for added water and salt.
- The USDA seal and the seal or mark of approval involved in
certifying agents may appear on product packages and in advertisements.
- Agricultural products labeled "100 percent organic" and "organic"
can't be produced using excluded methods, sewage sludge or ionizing
radiation.
- If buying processed products labeled "Made with Organic
Ingredients," these products need to contain at least 70 percent organic
ingredients, and list up to three organic ingredients or food groups on
the principal display panel.
- Processed products that "contain less than 70 percent organic
ingredients," can't use the term organic anywhere on the principal
display panel. However, they may identify specific ingredients that are
organically produced on the ingredients statement.
Are organic foods better for you than non-organic foods?
"The verdict is still out on that," Haley says. "Some will say yes;
others will say no.
One point to consider is that organic products aren't more nutritious than
conventionally grown foods. If you compare an organic apple versus a
conventional apple, you would receive the same vitamins in the same amounts."
The drawback for many with organic products is cost, she notes. They're more
expensive to grow than conventionally grown foods and that cost shows up in
higher prices at the grocery store.
For more information about food and nutrition, contact your county extension
agent or visit www.uaex.edu and select Health and
Nutrition. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
May 16, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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