Certified Organic - What it Means, and What it Doesn't
By Cynthia Bidar
For those of us who like to buy organic products, there certainly are a lot of choices. Everything from lettuce to facial cleansers to bath towels are labeled as being organic these days. But that label may not mean what you think it means, and if your goal is to help the environment by buying organic, it pays to do a little research first.
United States Department of Agriculture
The USDA regulates the use of the the term organic, but only as it applies to agricultural products. That's pretty straightforward when it comes to things like green beans or milk or even the cotton in your bath towels. They have clearly defined rules under which a manufacturer may use the terms organic and 100% organic, and the official USDA Certified Organic seal.
For example, in order for a product to boast of being 100% organic, it must be grown on a certified organic farm and processed by certified organic processors. Along with the USDA Organic seal, the label must also display the name and address of the certifying agency.
Not everything can be made with 100% organic materials, and for those products the USDA offers the status of "organic." To be certified organic, a product must contain at least 95% organically grown and produced materials, and 5% non-agricultural ingredients or agricultural ingredients which are not commercially available in organic form. The non-agricultural materials must not be specifically prohibited by the "National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances." Organic products must display the name and address of the certifying agency.
Products may also be said to be "made with organic ingredients" if at least 70% of the ingredients are produced organically. For items which are less than 70% organic, the word organic may only appear in reference to specific ingredients. For example, the label may say "contains organic cane sugar."
Non-Agricultural Organics
You can see that for agricultural products the rules are pretty clear. If you see the USDA Certified Organic seal on a product, it's fairly certain that the product is indeed organically grown and produced.
Where the waters get a little muddy, however, is in the area of non-agricultural products such as beauty care items.
The manufacturer's of non-agricultural products have the right to use the USDA Organic seal as long as they meet the same criteria as producers of agricultural products do. However, since the USDA has no authority over the production or marketing of non-agricultural items, there is no agency enforcing the rules.
What that means to you is that these products can say anything. They can be labeled as organic, made with organic ingredients, certified organic, or whatever other wording the manufacturer chooses, as long as they don't use the official USDA seal.
Buyer Beware
As always, diligence is key. Take the time to learn the regulations and what the USDA seal looks like. Read labels thoroughly to be sure the item is as described. The term organic has a strong draw for many people, and marketing and advertising firms know it. Don't give your money to those who use the word irresponsibly.
For more information on green living, visit Off Grid Living Online.
To learn more about the USDA's National Organic Program, visit http://www.usda.gov
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