First Organics FoodsLiving A Healthy Life With Organic Foods

You need to read the labels carefully to make sure you get what you are looking for.  Its no secret that the healthiest foods are not what sells the most because they lack the proper marketing powers.

Its the job of the consumer to explain food labels to see if they are buying what they want.

For example,

Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential component of a healthy diet, but that doesn’t mean every product emblazoned with the word is a healthy source of it.

The FDA allows certain foods that are rich in two of the omega-3 fatty acids to advertise that they can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, but only if they’re also low in saturated fats or other risk factors.

Which is why many eggs and some walnuts use this bit of marketing misdirection: The packaging has the phrase “omega 3,” but nothing specifically about heart health, according to the CSPI.

The FDA specifically prohibited eggs from carrying the “qualified health claim” linking omega-3 fatty acids to heart health because eggs are high in cholesterol; it ruled out walnuts because the omega-3 fatty acid found in the nuts isn’t one of the two that has been linked to heart health.

These products, and others, dance around the truth and the law by simply stating that they contain omega 3s, which bathes the food in a healthy light they don’t necessarily deserve.

Another example is free range eggs.  The government does not regulate the use of the phrase “free range” or “cage free” on eggs.    So just because the label says free range does not mean that those eggs that you purchase were raised ethically, with room enough for hens to roam the yard.

And lastly, not all fiber is good fiber.  Unnatural fibers are unlikely to lower blood cholesterol or blood sugar.  Currently fiber is being added to all kinds of foods so that you the consumer think it might help you.

For the real thing in fiber, look for foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans.

Foods labeled “100 percent organic” must contain only organic ingredients.

Products containing at least 70 (%) percent organic content can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.”

Those foods labeled simply “organic” must have at least 95-percent organic ingredients, by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt.

Anyone who knowingly sells or labels a product “organic” that is not produced and handled in accordance with these regulations can face a civil penalty of up to $10,000.

Foods grown and processed according to the federal standards will in most cases bear the seal “USDA Organic.” As its use is voluntary, companies may choose not to display the seal.

If you see a food that is labeled “transitional,” that means the farmer produced it during the three-year conversion period from conventional to organic.

The organic food trend that began making headlines in 2000 now appears to be a mainstream lifestyle for some — which translates into big business. So where do organic foods and fibers come from, and what makes them organic?

Organic farming is based on holistic, ecologically balanced agricultural principles involving soil fertility, crop rotation and natural pest control. It may sound like an elusive concept, but the basis for organic farming is actually very simple: Allow nature to do what nature does best.

Many everyday products can be produced on organic farms, including vegetables, grains, meat, dairy, eggs and fibers such as cotton. What makes these things organic is how close to their natural state they stay. When growing organic goods, farmers do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers on crops, and they reject the use of synthetic hormones, antibiotics or other medications in their livestock. Animals are provided with organic feed and allowed access to the outdoors.

The USDA recently proposed grazing guidelines for certified organic dairy farms that clarify the requirements for pasture grazing.  Organic livestock must be raised without hormones, antibiotics or feed treated with pesticides. Producers were also required to provide the animals with “access to pasture” so they can get out, roam around and graze a bit.
Under the new standards, the term “access to pasture” it means thirty percent of organic livestock’s feed must come from grazing in pasture, as opposed to only eating organically produced food in a feedlot or indoor facility. Organic farms now need to allow animals to graze in pasture at least 120 days a year.

It doesn’t seem like this is a major issue the USDA should be concerned about, right? Not exactly. Consumers and organic advocacy organizations voiced their concerns to the USDA about dairy farms that provide our stores with organic milk but were not providing very much “access to pasture.” This allowed some farms to gain an advantage over other farms by lowering their production costs.

The USDA believes addressing the role of pasture in organic farming will clarify its meaning and allow it to be easier for farms to be in compliance. Many farmers hope these guidelines will not only help ensure adequate and appropriate organic standards are met, but also protect the integrity of organic farming and the products we eat.

Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least 95 percentage of the food’s total plant and animal ingredients must be organic. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives, and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as chemical ripening, food irradiation, and genetically modified ingredients.

They may also be required to be produced using energy-saving technologies and packaged using recyclable or biodegradable materials when possible.

Early consumers interested in organic food should look for non-chemically treated, fresh or minimally processed food. You mostly have to buy directly from growers: “Know your farmer, know your food” was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted “organic” were developed through firsthand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Small farms grew vegetables (and raised livestock) using organic farming practices, with or without certification, and the individual consumer monitored. As demand for organic foods continued to increase, high volume sales through mass outlets such as supermarkets rapidly replaced the direct farmer connection. However, for supermarket consumers, food production is not easily observable, and product labeling, like “certified organic”, is relied on. Government regulations and third-party inspectors are looked to for assurance. A “certified organic” label is usually the only way for consumers to know that a processed product is “organic”.

Organic foods are made according to certain standards.  The use of non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides are greatly restricted.  Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification in order to market food as “organic” within their borders.  Most certification allow some chemcials and pesticides to be used, so consumers should be aware of the standards that qualify as “organic” in their area.