How Organic are Your Organic Groceries Really?

If you’re buying organics you likely give a hoot about your family’s health, the environment, or both. However, these values come at a cost. While it’s possible to save money on organic foods, typically they do run on the more expensive than conventional side, which is why a new report about organic food at the Washington Post is so alarming.

The piece point out that relaxation of the federal organic food standards, and an explosion of consumer demand for organics, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business. That makes the organic market the fastest growing segment of the food industry.

However, according to the post a USDA program manager was lobbied by the formula makers after they’d been banned from carrying the federal organic label and she decided to overrule her staff. The Post states, “That decision and others by a handful of USDA employees, along with an advisory board’s approval of a growing list of non-organic ingredients, have helped numerous companies win a coveted green-and-white “USDA Organic” seal on an array of products… and thus consumers are not always getting what they expect: foods without pesticides and other chemicals, produced in a way that is gentle to the environment.”

Additional current problems with the labeling program (among others) include:

• From the start the organic labeling rules stated that 5 percent of a USDA-certified organic product can consist of non-organic substances, but the substances must be approved by the National Organic Standards Board. The list of non-organic substances has grown from 77 to a whopping 245 substances since it was created in 2002. The list of non-organics in organics is not only growing, but no shrinking either. As list substances are approved it makes it less valuable for companies to take the time to find an organic alternative.
• The original labeling law makers wanted to see a annual pesticide testing implemented but as of yet, none has been.
• The National Organic Program has repeatedly opted not to issue standards regarding how organic food must be grown, treated or produced, which is of course an issue that many consumers and organic advocates feel should be addressed.

Hopefully reports like this will encourage government and individuals to stand up for better organic labeling laws, but until then the best thing you can do is research a company before you buy their products. Get to know the basics of organic labeling laws, buy the least processed organics you can (hint, see if you know all the ingredients on the label) and see these handy tips for buying organics.

[image via stock.xchng]