“Organic? What’s that?”

Once upon a time, our grandparents only needed to wash some dirt off their produce to make sure they were eating clean food. Now, we are concerned about pesticides, genetic modification, and fertilizers in our food. To meet our demand for healthier diet, more grocery stores place ads for organic foods in local newspapers. According to the Organic Trade Association research, the sales of organic foods have soared from $3.5 billion to $16.7 billion over the past decade. We all know ‘going organic’ is good for us, but a few of us understand what exactly “organic” means. Before adding organic food to your grocery basket next time, read this and know what you’ll be getting.

Organic food consists of crops grown without genetic modification and without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and diary from animals are without hormones or antibiotics. Organic farmers use renewable resources and apply soil and water conservation strategies to improve environmental condition for future generations. Organic production emphasizes regional quality – encouraging money shoppers spend on locally grown produce stays within the community. Shorter journey not only lowers distribution costs, but also reduces gas consumption and lessens air pollution.

Since 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the USDA Organic food label (see the attachment) as a national standard to ensure quality of organic food. Before labeling an organic food, government-approved certifiers inspect organic farm to make sure that crops are planted under the USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to restaurants and supermarkets have to be certified as well. When we see a small USDA organic seal on vegetables and fruits, we can be certain that the product is at least 95 percent organic. Besides recognizing the USDA organic seal, savvy shoppers look for package labels on organic food. Organic produce package has a five-digit number beginning with the number nine, while conventional one has a four-digit number.

Remember “natural” and “organic” are not interchangeable. Don't confuse “free-range” and “hormone-free” with "organic." Only food labeled "organic" has been certified to meet USDA organic standards. There is no such thing as 100 percent organic because pure soil does not exist.