What Merits an Organic Food Label?

The USDA has established strict government standards for its organic food certification program and dictates how food is grown, and processed.

To be considered organic, the following conditions must apply:

• Only natural fertilizers are used to nurture the plants and soil
• No spray insecticides are used
• Birds and beneficial insects are used for pest and disease control
• Crops are hand weeded or tilled
• Animals are given balanced diets and clean housing to decrease disease

Seals are used to denote the percentage of participation within the organic guidelines. A seal stating 100% organic means that the product is either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients. A seal stating organic means that it is 95% and a seal merely stating “madder with organic ingredients:” means that it contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
Filler Up

This is where the really savvy consumer can obtain healthier meals. Many products like cereals or meat packages are made with fillers- byproducts of “unknown” origin. Additional fats and starches hide within. Fortunately, the addition of fillers must be written on the label so it is crucial for you to get in the habit of reading these product labels.

While the U.S. Department of Agriculture who certifies the food as organic does not claim that it is healthier, it does state that in order to avoid pesticides, peel your fruits and vegetables as well as trimming outer leaves of leafy vegetables after a thorough washing.

While this is good cautionary advice, having to remove the outer layer of fruits and vegetables does reduce the amount of fiber and nutrients that you would be consuming.

The Mayo Clinic claims that there is no scientific study proving that organic food is healthier. However by having conventional meat products, you are introducing hormones into your system (Used to fatten the animals). There have been several studies that correlate the hormone ingestion at an early age to precocious puberty in young girls.

Antibiotics are used to control disease in animals that are bound in instead of outside grazing. This ingestion into our system may be partially responsible for the increase in antibiotic resistance.

So, while the jury is out on whether organic foods are worth the money and healthier, it is better to err on the side of caution.

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