Understanding The Organic Label On Foods
When you go to the grocery store, you might be looking out for organic groceries that you can buy and take home to your family. There are a large number of organic foods, and each organic food will be labeled a little differently depending on what it is. You should know what different organic labels to look out for and what they each mean.
Organically Grown Crops
When you are looking at fruits and vegetables, you might see the organic label on them. In order to be certified as organically grown crops, they have to have been grown from organic seeds and grown and managed in certain ways.
Organically grown crops must have been grown on land that only uses synthetic substances, such as herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides, provided by organic standards. Many people believe organic food to be completely free of these substances, but that is not the case. The USDA maintains a list of what substances are and are not allowed to be used on organically grown crops.
Organically grown crops must also be grown in land that has adequate nutrients and has been properly cared for to prevent erosion and the existence of heavy metals. Certain standards of care for the soil must be met by doing things such as proper crop rotation.
Organically Certified Meat Dairy and Eggs
In order for meat, dairy, and eggs to be organically certified, the animals must be fed organically grown crops throughout their life. Animals that provide for organic meat have to be free from any hormone treatments and medication, unless the animal has been sick. Feed additives must be kept to a minimum, and the animals must be raised in conditions that minimize stress and give the animal the freedom to move around.
100% Organic VS Made With Organic Ingredients
There are a number of different organic labels on organic groceries that aren't fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and eggs. When looking at labels of pre-packaged food, you might notice a "100% organic" sticker. This sticker means that all ingredients in the food item were grown and produced to organic standards. You might also see the label "made with organic ingredients." This label is available on foods that have at least 70% organic ingredients in them, but is not fully organic.
When shopping for organic groceries, keep these labels in mind. They will help you buy the right organic food for you and your family.