Organic food was once only found in health food markets, but is now a common feature at most grocery stores. Today, many people are confused about the difference between buying organic and non-organic, and for good reason. It seems to be an ongoing controversial subject.

For example, you visit your local supermarket to buy some apples. The store offers both traditionally grown and organically grown apples. Both kinds are shiny, red, and firm. Both have essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Both are free of cholesterol, sodium, and fat. Which kind is better?

Here are some important facts to keep in mind if you can’t decide between buying organic or non-organic food.

Organic vs. Traditional Farming

The term ‘organic’ means the way in which agricultural farmers grow and process their products, including vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, and dairy products. The practice of organic farming is designed to promote both water and soil conservation as well as decrease pollution overall.

Organic farmers don’t use traditional methods in order to control weeds and fertilize the soil. Some common practices of organic farming include incorporating fertilizers that are more natural in order to feed the plants and soil in addition to implementing crop rotation or using natural mulch to control the weeds.

Read Food Labels

The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) set up an organic certification program, which demands that all organically grown foods meet strict standards established by the government. These strict standards are put in place to control how organic foods are cultivated, handled, and eventually processed overall.

For example, any food product that contains an ‘organic’ label has to be certified by the USDA. The only exceptions to the rule are food producers who sell $5,000 or less per year of organic food. However, they still have to follow the strict USDA’s standards for growing and processing organically grown foods.

If a certain food has a label that reads ‘USDA Organic’ on it, this means that it’s grown and processed based on USDA standards. Most organic food producers use the seal even though it’s voluntary. Any food product that’s certified organic 95 percent or higher can display the USDA certified seal. Food products that are 100 percent organic, such as vegetables, fruits, or dairy products, can carry the 100 percent organic USDA seal.

However, food products that contain multiple ingredients (think breakfast cereal) may use the USDA organic seal in addition to the following phrases, based on how many organic ingredients they actually contain:

• Organic – Food products have to be a minimum of 95 percent organic overall in order to use the word ‘organic’ on the label.
• 100 Percent Organic – To use the phrase ‘100 Percent Organic’, the food products have to either be totally organic or all their ingredients must be organic.

Food products that have at least 70 percent or ingredients that are more organic are allowed to claim ‘made with organic ingredients’, but can’t use the USDA seal. Foods that have 70 percent or less organic ingredients are not allowed using the term ‘organic’ or the seal on their labels. However, they may list the organic items on their list of ingredients.

Several factors go into the decision whether or not you should buy organic food products. Many people buy organic food simply because they think it tastes better. Some, however, choose organic due to concerns such as pesticides, food additives, and the environment in general, which clearly makes organic the better choice.

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