When Buying Food,
Know Your Organics.
By Linda Mason Hunter

Copyright 2009, HunterInk

The word “organic” is a big gray area when it comes to food. That’s why it’s important to know your terms. The USDA defines four levels of this category, based on percentage of organic content:

• 100% organic, with the USDA organic seal means all ingredients are grown organically and minimally processed—no pesticides, synthetic hormones, or antibiotics.

• USDA organic seal without the words 100% organic means at least 95% of the content by weight is organic, with the remaining 5% of ingredients on an approved list of nonagricultural products not available in organic form.

• Made with organic ingredients, without the USDA organic seal, applies to processed products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients.

• Organics identified in ingredients list only: Processed products with less than 70% organic ingredients can’t use the term organic, or the seal, on the principal label; they can only identify specific ingredients that are organic in the ingredients statement on the information panel.

• A fifth consideration: certified organic vs. practical organic. In the U.S., the right to use the word organic is regulated, and smaller farmers that sell organically grown foods may not always pay the fee for the right to claim “certified organic.” Instead, many market their produce as “grown without pesticides,” especially at farmers markets.

If you want to be sure the food you’re buying is 100% organic, look for the words 100% organic with the USDA organic seal.

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