~ Organic foods or Natural foods ~

Aren't they the same?

by Rich Heiser, Editor

It seems like the vegetarian movement, if I can call it that, is growing in popularity. Browse the book shelves at your favorite book store and you're sure to find a multitude of books on vegetarian recipes or vegetarian cooking, vegan health, vegetarian nutrition and on and on...not a bad thing, by the way. After all, variety is the spice...

There are more and more magazines that target the vegetarian market. There are websites by the thousands (of which we are proudly one) that extol the virtues of the vegetarian lifestyle. General nutrition and food magazines are devoting more page space to vegetarian recipes and products that are vegetarian friendly. Of course, organic food and organic food products are also very prevalent. In fact, in many ways, vegetarianism lends itself very well to the production and consumption of organically grown food products.

Food labels, which are intended to provide information and some sense of safety or security can, however, be a little misleading or misunderstood. For example, some foods may be labeled "organic" and some labeled "natural". Are "organic" and "natural" the same thing? No. According to the USDA, the terms "natural" and "organic" are not interchangeable. Food that is labeled "organic" meets USDA's national organic standards. Other claims, such as "natural" can still appear on food labels but should not be confused with "organic."

So what's so special about "organic" food? That seems to be a question that still has some elements of debate attached to it, depending on to whom you talk. Certainly, without the use of conventional pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones one would think that organic food would be healthier. And it probably is. However, numerous studies have indicated that from a taste standpoint (always pretty subjective) there isn't much if any difference. Still, as I said, if you're not bombarding it with radiation or genetically modifying it and your not using conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, ant-biotics and growth hormones I've got to believe it's better for you.

In order to "qualify" as organic, the main difference is how it is grown and the methods used in handling and processing it. Basically, as I mentioned, it is grown without the use of conventional pesticides, synthetic or sewage-derived fertilizers, growth hormones or antibiotics. It is not genetically modified or irradiated. Organic farmers typically utilize soil and water conservation methods as well. If a product is "certified" organic it means that it complies with the regulations of the National Organic Program (NOP). This is typically verified by an independent USDA-approved agency. Certified organic farmers and processors are inspected annually. The USDA Organic seal may appear on organic food products that contain at least 95 percent certified organic ingredients.

There is also the "Made with Organic Ingredients" label for which at least 70 percent of the product's content is certified organic. Up to three ingredients can be listed on the label with the phrase "made with organic."

Products containing less than 70 percent organic content may only identify the organic ingredients in the ingredient listing on the label.

However, only producers who use organic practices and yield more than $5000 worth of product on an annual basis as well as meet the NOP guidelines may use the certified organic seal. Organic producers with annual production yields less than the $5000 annual guideline may still use the "organic" label but cannot use the certified seal.

On the other hand products that are labeled "natural" or "naturally grown" can be simply products that were processed and packaged without using preservatives or additives. They may still be products which were grown using conventional pesticides and may even be genetically modified. There is no federal regulatory body that monitors natural foods. However, all food producers, must comply with local, state and federal health standards which are different from the labeling standards. So, you should know that "natural" foods are not necessarily "organic" foods.

You can get more detailed information on the USDA organic standards at the official USDA Web site.

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