Many of us use the term organic without really knowing what it is. We just know that it is better than non-organic, which is partially true, depending on the writes of organic product you are buying. Basically how organic ingredients are labeled and whether they have the USDA organic seal determines how much of the product is actually organic and what regulations the company had to follow to market that way.
Whether you’re starting your organic journey or have been a long-time practitioner, it’s always a good idea to get a refresher on what is organic and how to identify organic ingredients.
Fortunately, I have prepared a quick reference organic upgrade guide for you. Let’s dive in!
All about organic
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What does organic really mean? Yes, it is definitely a term to look for when roaming grocery store shelves. No, it does not mean that a product is healthy. The term organic “It refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed.” Simple as that! That said, there are different levels of organic which can be a product. In the US, “Organic crops must be grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes (GMOs), petroleum-based fertilizers, and sewage-based fertilizers,” to be classified as USDA organic. .
Organic food comes with a list of benefits including fewer pesticides, generally richer nutrients, GMO-free, fewer pesticides, fresher food, and organic farming is generally better for the environment.
Debunking the myth of “pesticide-free” organic products
The biggest misconception regarding organic foods is that they are 100 percent pesticide free. Unfortunately, this is not true. While organic foods contain far fewer pesticides than non-organic foods, organic farmers can use pesticides. So what is the difference? Organic farmers use “naturally-occurring pesticides, rather than the synthetic pesticides used on conventional commercial farms.”
So while your “exposure to harmful pesticides will be less” with organic food, keep in mind that you are still ingesting pesticides of some kind.
National list of prohibited substances
The National List of Prohibited Substances is formulated by the government and is used when evaluating USDA organic foods. This list “identifies substances that can and cannot be used in organic crops and livestock production,” as well as substances “that can be used in or on processed organic products.” Depending on the type of food produced and the type of certification desired, certain synthetic substances are prohibited.
If you are curious to see the full list, you can find it on the government website via the electronic code of federal regulations.
Knowing the organic categories
When it comes to organic, it is incredibly important to understand the different categories and how they are labeled on the packaging. Why? It turns out that a product that is only 70 percent organic can use the term “organic” on its packaging. Additionally, the USDA organic symbol can be used on a product that has 100 percent organic ingredients, a minimum 95 percent organic ingredients, or 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients. If you are an organic nut like me, then you will want to know how to identify the difference between these organic categories.
100 percent organic
If you see a package that markets your product as 100% organic and they have the USDA organic seal, so you are buying a product that is in fact 100 percent organic. What does this mean? A product that is 100 percent organic – and don’t forget the USDA organic seal – “was produced and processed using only organic methods and organic ingredients (excluding water and salt but including processing aids).” Why the USDA seal? A USDA Organic Seal means that the facility passed an on-site inspection by a certified USDA official and that no ingredients from the National List of Prohibited Substances were used. That said, it is incredibly difficult to meet these requirements, which means that “most of the products in this category are single ingredient products.”
Organic
The most common term you will see in the supermarket is organic. A food product labeled organic. and It has the USDA organic seal on the package. It has been produced “using only organic methods and contains a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.” This is pretty good considering that most of the 100 percent organic ingredients are unique ingredients! In addition, this identifier also takes into account the other 5 percent, which is “non-GMO and is included in the National List of non-organic ingredients allowed in certified organic agriculture and processing.”
Made with organic ingredients
As we move into the “a little organic” realm, it gets a little more complicated. That said, there are still guidelines that food products must follow to use this terminology on their packaging.
Products that are labeled made with organic ingredients They “contain between 70% and 95% organic ingredients”, must contain non-GMO ingredients, are produced without “irradiation or sewage sludge” and have been certified organic. On top of that, the packaging can list “up to three ingredients or food groups on the front panel. The main identifier for these products is that they’re not allowed use the USDA organic seal even though they have been certified organic. This is a great way to choose between certain food products, like USDA organic quinoa vs. quinoa. made with organic – where one contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients and the other can only have 75 percent organic ingredients.
That said, the made with organic describes itself as a “springboard for companies still looking for organic sources for some of their product ingredients. This means if you can’t afford the USDA organic product, go with made with organic about non-organic is safer, cleaner, and will support a business that is working toward its USDA organic certification.
Less than 70 percent organic
This category is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to organic food products, however, it is generally where companies aiming to become USDA organic certified should start.
Any food product produced with “less than 70% organic ingredients or less can use the word ‘organic’ to specify organic ingredients in the ingredient panel,” however they are not allowed to market the food product as organic or certified organic. These foods will not have the USDA organic seal. It is also important to note that these foods are not regulated by the use of GMO ingredients, irradiation, or sewage sludge.
While some organic ingredients are better than none, these food products are not regulated by the USDA organic program, however they must follow Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for safe production.
Knowing your dirty dozen and your clean fifteen
For those of us who can’t afford to buy all organic foods, there is another option! Have you heard of the dirty dozen? How about the clean fifteen? They refer to two lists, one with twelve foods and the other with fifteen, published to the public regarding those who must forever buy organic foods, generally foods without a protective barrier for the skin, and those that you can modify a little and buy non-organic foods, generally foods with a protective barrier for the skin. Below is a summary of the current rosters for 2019!
The dirty dozen
The Dirty Food Dozen list is produced by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) with the “fruits and vegetables that nonprofits claim to have the most pesticides when grown conventionally compared to organic “. The EWG uses “40,900 samples for 47 different types of products” to create a dirty dozen list. Make sure you wash these foods well if you don’t decide to buy them organically!
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard greens and mustard greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Bell peppers and hot peppers
- Tomatoes
- Celery
The clean fifteen
Along with the dirty dozen, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) also publishes a list of fifteen foods that are safe to buy non-organic. This is mainly due to the fact that these foods have a natural protective skin that prevents harmful pesticides from seeping into the meat of the product that you would eventually consume. The following fifteen foods have the least amount of pesticide residues in the analyzed sample:
- Avocados
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Onions
- Papayas
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Aubergines
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbages
- Kiwis
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Melons
- Melons
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