A single word on a label can make the difference between where we spend our food budget and what we skip. Unfortunately food labels are often misunderstood by the public leading to widespread confusion over things like expiration dates versus best before dates and what “natural flavor” actually means. Of all the terms you need to know there’s probably none that carries more weight than “organic.” Food manufacturers love to use it as a selling point often implying that it means a healthier choice (not to mention the higher price tag). In a nutshell “organic” refers to food that’s produced without the use of synthetic measures. That means produce grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and livestock raised without hormones or antibiotics (there are a few exceptions which we’ll get to later). Organic methods also exclude the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) bioengineering and ionizing radiation (which is used to cause desirable genetic mutations).
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
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 ABC15 Arizona | 2017-03-23 01:53:10 |  191 Views |
Three Myths About Organic Food You Didn't Know
These techniques hark back to pre-industrial farming methods but they took on new meaning in the early 20th century as industrialization reshaped the agricultural sector. The term “organic” was first applied to farming in the 1940 book “Look to the Land” by English author and agronomist Lord Northbourne which laid the foundation for modern organic farming. In the 1960s reports emerged that the widely used pesticide DDT was a carcinogen. This led to widespread public concern about the chemicals used in farming and led to a wave of legislation in the late 1900s that would eventually lead to the modern USDA organic certification.
In the United States you can easily recognize certified organic produce in the grocery store because it carries the USDA organic seal. The requirements for the seal are set by the National Organic Program which sets the federal standards for organic foods. Under this regulation produce can be labeled organic if it is grown in soil that is free of all banned substances including most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. To keep pests at bay organic farmers use methods that mimic natural deterrents such as practicing crop rotation or introducing predatory insects that prey on potential pests.
There are a small number of synthetic products that are allowed for use in organic farming as detailed in the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances such as plastic mulch. These exceptions are strictly monitored for nutritional and environmental impact. The USDA can also apply an organic label to livestock products such as meat dairy and eggs as long as the livestock are raised on an organic diet with access to pasture and no antibiotics or hormones are administered.
