Organic foods

Organic foods

I’ve been thinking about organic foods recently.  What are they?  “Organic” is used to define how food is grown and processed.  If you think “organic” means less chemicals and antibiotics are used, you are correct.  According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), there’s a specific standard farmers and processors must meet to label food “organic”.  The “USDA Organic” seal is applied to 95% or higher organic products.

·       Organic means  the fertilizers used on plants are natural (manure and compost) instead of chemical

·       Organic means pesticides come from natural sources instead of synthetic pesticides

·       Organic means herbicides (weed killing) is done by environmentally friendly methods such as hand weeding, using mulch, rotating crops and environmentally approved compounds instead of synthetic herbicides

·       Animals are fed organic food and allowed to be outside instead of using antibiotics, growth hormones and medicines to keep them healthy and growing.

I’ve explained how organic foods differ from conventional food.  If you want more information about organic foods, check out the Mayo Clinic information at  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255   The USDA website gives information about organic foods at http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/food-labeling/organic-foods