Organic food is delicious and safe to eat.
Organic food is delicious and safe to eat, but it is often more expensive. Because of this, and the trend toward eating healthy, many food producers want to label their products "organic." In America, it is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that is charged with insuring that the food that is labeled organic really lives up to the claim.
FDA Definitions
Definitions of what practices are organic and what are not, are at the heart of FDA organic regulations. The FDA works with the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) to insure foods--both domestic and imported--sold in America that are labeled "organic" are produced in accordance with organic farming techniques. Neither the FDA nor the USDA claim that the food is safer or more nutritious, just that it is grown in accordance with organic farming techniques. Organic farming techniques are basically concerned with no chemical fertilizer or chemical growth hormones. There are some things that are included in the definition of "organic" that do not involve chemistry, such as soil conservation practices and the human treatment of animals.
FDA Fines
The FDA and the USDA work together to certify farms organic--using both agency staff and independent agents to check the farms. There are some loopholes. If a farm is small enough (less than $5,000 a year) it is not subjected to scrutiny, but can be fined if it is shown to be in conscious violation of organic farming principles. Also, a farm may be certified if only 95% of its produce is organic. The fine for deliberate conscious violations are $10,000 for each violation. Specifically mentioned in the law is the use of USDA certified organic stickers on non-approved produce. Fines are not levied for terms such as "ail natural" or "range free", only for items labeled "organic." Single ingredient items (eggs or apples) must be 100% organic, but compound items (such as bread or cereal) can be labeled organic if 95% of the ingredients in the product are organic.
Organic vs. Conventional Farming
At the heart of the definition of organic is a list of how organic farming differs from conventional farming. Understanding this is key to understanding FDA regulations about organic produce. The first point is that organic farming uses no chemicals, specifically chemical fertilizers, chemical insecticides, chemical herbicides or chemical growth hormones. Organic farmers can use manure or compost (of organic materials) for fertilizer. Organic farmers can use other species such as birds and insects, or mating disruption for pest control. Organic farmers maintain the health of animals by providing them organic food, access to the outdoors and clean housing.
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