Green tea fields
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed when trying to decipher whether a product is organic, green, or natural? Well, don’t feel alone. Organic, green and natural all sound like good things – but are not necessarily represented truthfully when it comes to marketing so it pays once again to read the label and understand the certifications.
There are standards that have been set to help the consumer (that’s you and me) make sense of the information and ultimately-informed educated decisions about the products we choose to consume and apply to our skin.
In 2002, the US Federal Government established the first official definition of “organic” followed by the “USDA Organic” seal. This seal is to give consumers a way to identify by a label whether or not the product is “100% Organic”, “Organic” or “Made With Organic ingredients”.
For our protection, these very strict standards have been implemented to create a system that can identity and track the specific practices that are used to produce and process organic agricultural ingredients used for food and non-food purposes.
I found the following definition that is helpful in understanding how organic is defined in terms of qualifying criteria:
“National organic standards set out the methods, practices and substances used in producing and handling crops, livestock and processed agricultural products. The standards include a national list of approved synthetic and prohibited non-synthetic substances for organic production. See http://www.ota.com/listbackground05.html for more details.
Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation. Cloning animals or using their products would be considered inconsistent with organic practices. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food.
National organic standards require that organic growers and handlers be certified by third-party state or private agencies or other organizations that are accredited by USDA. Although farmers and handlers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic agricultural products and retailers that do not process these products are exempt from certification, they must meet all certified organic grower and handler requirements to maintain the organic integrity of the organic products they sell. Anyone who knowingly sells or mislabels as organic a product that was not produced and handled in accordance with the regulations can be subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation.
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Consumers can look for the “USDA Organic” seal or other approved labeling, and for the name of the certifier on the label of the products they consider for purchase.
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Products labeled “100% Organic” and carrying the “USDA Organic” seal are just that – they contain all organically produced ingredients.
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Products that are made from at least 95% organic ingredients, and have remaining ingredients that are approved for use in organic products may also carry the “USDA Organic” seal.
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In addition, products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients may label those on the ingredient listing. Producers and processors voluntarily use these labels, and may use organic ingredients without being required to label them.”
For more information from USDA on labeling and other issues go to: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure.html
So next time you are tempted to spend your hard earned dollars on a product that says it’s “organic, natural or green”, take a minute to review the facts and you’ll be able to tell the difference between good marketing and accurate labeling!
Cheers – stay happy and healthy,
Pam Tirado, President and Product Developer for ILLUSTRE ESSENZA®
Source: The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Organic Trade Association’s 2007 Manufacturer Survey
