Organic Labeling

There is oftentimes confusion around nutrition labeling, and organic products are no exception. With packaging reading “organic” and “made with organic ingredients,” it is hard to know exactly what you’re buying and putting into your body. 

Here is a quick guide to organic labels to help you next time you’re navigating the grocery store isles.

WHAT THE ORGANIC LABELS ACTUALLY MEAN

            Products that are labeled “100% organic” must be made with all organic ingredients, excluding water and salt.

To be labeled “organic,” the food must be at least 95% organic, excluding water and salt. The food cannot contain any added sulfites and in the ingredient list, organic components must be labeled “organic”. The product’s label is not required to disclose the organic percentage of the content.

A product labeled “made with organic ingredients” must be at least 70% organic. The packaging is not required to put the percentage of organic ingredients in the product, although it must disclose which products are organic and which are not. The packaging cannot display the USDA organic seal.

A product that claims it is “made with some organic ingredients” can contain less than 70% organic ingredients, but no more than 30% genetically modified ingredients. The packaging cannot display the USDA organic seal.

THE USDA AND NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM

           The Organic Food Production Act of 1990 required the USDA to develop national standards regarding organic products. The USDA now audits over 90 certifying organic agencies around the globe and performs 30,000 on-site inspections per year.

The National Organic Program is the organization under the USDA that works to enforce all of the organic regulations set by the USDA. The National Organic Program gives accreditations to other organizations, who in turn certify products as organic. These organic certifications are necessary for a farm or processing facility to sell, label and represent products as organic. Product creation, production, handling, labeling, trade and enforcement are all regulated by the National Organic Program, and certifications are given to those producing and handling organic products

The National Organic Program only deals with fresh and processed foods like crops and livestock, as well as health and beauty products. The National Organic Program does not deal with non-food products such as natural fibers that are labeled as organic.

USDA ORGANIC STANDARDS

            In order to be labeled organic, crops cannot come in to contact with irradiation, sewage sludge, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides and cannot be a genetically modified organism. Livestock must meet certain health and wellness standards, cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones, must be fed 100% organic feed, and have access to the outdoors.