What does the label “organic” mean? How can people tell what is 100 percent organic? What are these non-organic ingredients?
Organic foods are grown without the use of most conventional pesticides, ionizing radiation, or bioengineering. Meat and poultry products may be considered organic if the animals are raised without the use of antibiotics or growth hormones.The United States Department of Agriculture defines what it means to grow “organic” foods and certifies farms that claim to grow organically produced crops. The easiest way to identify foods with organic ingredients is to look for the USDA organic seal that many companies place on their food packages. However, it is important to note that the USDA maintains various standards for labeling foods as organic. If a food is made with 100 percent organic ingredients, it can be labeled as such (100 percent Organic Cereal). If a food contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients, it may be called simply “organic” (Organic Cereal).
