UNDERSTANDING ORGANIC LABELS

Just a little primer on understanding organic labels. By definition, organic ingredients are ones that have been grown without the help of any synthetic substances. This means chemical-free, with no use of artificial substances including GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, etc., ultimately leading to the most beneficial ingredients for us to use and consume. However, when searching for organically made products, it is important to understand that there are different grades of organic products, and that in fact all organic products are not made the same. When searching for organic foods and products, it is important to understand the differences so you can be assured of the organic content within each. All products must be labeled according to the percentage of organic ingredients within it. The definitions of each are as follows:

100% Organic – These products contain only organically produced ingredients and by law they can display the official USDA organic seal.

Organic – This means that these products contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients, while the remaining percentage of ingredients must be non-agricultural substances. Use of the USDA Organic seal guarantees that at least 95% of the food’s ingredients are organic.

Made With Organic Ingredients – These items must contain at least 70-94% organic ingredients and they may not legally use the USDA Organic seal.

Other (Natural) – Products with less than 70% organic ingredients are only allowed to list the specific ingredients that are organic on the packaging within the information panel. These products are not able to use the USDA Organic Seal.

Once you understand the differences within this rating system, it is easy to identify the true organic components of the products you purchase. Each ingredient used always gets evaluated by a third party company to determine whether or not it is in fact organic. The standards of these tests are high, making it a trustworthy way to know whether or not you are truly getting what you pay for.