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On October 21, 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began enforcing a national set of standards governing use of the term "organic" on food labels. For the first time, consumers throughout the country will see a standard label and trust that the labeled product meets a minimum standard. What does this mean to you, a consumer of organic food? According to the USDA, foods labeled "100 percent organic" must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients. Products labeled "organic" must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "made with organic ingredients" and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups on the principal display panel. What are the requirements for getting certified as an organic food producer? The farm must use only approved materials that will not harm humans, animals, or soil life. It must develop an organic farm management plan, keep detailed records, and be inspected annually by an accredited certification agency. All companies that manufacture organic food products must follow similar strict requirements. Also, the USDA's organic program regulations prohibit the use of all of the following potentially unhealthy materials and practices: Toxic Synthetic Pesticides And Fertilizers A farm field must be free of these chemicals for at least three years before a certified organic crop can be grown on it. Genetically Engineered (GE) Seeds Or Other Materials Many nonorganic products now contain GE foods. Because the government has so far refused to require labeling of GE foods, the only way you can avoid them for sure is to buy certified organic products. Sewage Sludge \ Biosolids Organic farmers would love to recycle human wastes safely into fertilizers for their soils, but this will not be possible until the nation has a sewage collection system that keeps toxic chemicals and heavy metals from contaminating sewage sludge (sometimes referred to as "biosolids"). For now, however, the USDA prohibits the use of sewage sludge in the production of organic food. Sewage sludge is widely used by nonorganic farmers. Fresh Manure For years, organic farmers have voluntarily followed proper animal-care and manure-composting techniques to protect against transmitting food-borne illnesses. The new rules make those voluntary practices mandatory and will require a waiting period, probably 90 or 120 days, between the application of raw manure and the harvest of any organic crops that are likely to be eaten raw. Conventional farmers, who also use lots of raw manure because of its low cost, are not governed by any national restrictions on the use of raw manure. Animal Confinement The new rules will require that organic eggs, meat, and dairy products come from animals that are given feed that's 100 percent organic. In most cases they will require that the animals be given access to the outdoors and pastures and will forbid the severe confinement conditions often used in nonorganic factory farms. Irradiation The USDA's organic rules ban the controversial technology of exposing food to radiation to kill microorganisms. Meat producers are beginning to irradiate non-organic meat because unsanitary conditions in animal food factories are contaminating beef and poultry with food-borne diseases organisms. Antibiotics and Growth Hormones Nonorganic meat and dairy products are produced using controversial synthetic growth hormones, including the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, which forces dairy cows to produce more milk, and several beef growth hormones that are banned in other countries. Also, disease problems are so severe in these food factories that growers routinely overuse antibiotics on the animals. The national organic rules prohibit the use of antibiotics and synthetic hormones in meat and dairy animals that are certified organic. What is the definition of Organic? The following definition of "organic" was passed by the NOSB at its April 1995 meeting in Orlando, FL. "Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." 'Organic' is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE NEW
USDA FEDERAL REGULATIONS FOR
CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTION |
