How do you know if food is 100 organic

Understanding the USDA Organic Label

Posted by Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program in

Food and Nutrition

Jul 22, 2016

Amidst nutrition facts, ingredient lists, and dietary claims on food packages, organic might appear as one more piece of information to decipher when shopping for products. Understanding what the organic label means can help shoppers make informed purchasing choices.

Organic is a labeling term found on products that have been produced using cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that support the cycling of on-farm resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. The National Organic Program part of USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service enforces the organic regulations, ensuring the integrity of the USDA Organic Seal.

In order to make an organic claim or use the USDA Organic Seal, the final product must follow strict production, handling and labeling standards and go through the organic certification process. The standards address a variety of factors such as soil quality, animal raising practices, and pest and weed control. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.

Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible. Organic produce must be grown on soil that had no prohibited substances (most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) applied for three years prior to harvest. As for organic meat, the standards require that animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors, fed organic feed, and not administered antibiotics or hormones.

There are four distinct labeling categories for organic products 100 percent organic, organic, made with organic ingredients, and specific organic ingredients.

In the 100 Percent Organic category, products must be made up of 100 percent certified organic ingredients. The label must include the name of the certifying agent and may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the 100 percent organic claim.

In the Organic category, the product and ingredients must be certified organic, except where specified on National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. Non-organic ingredients allowed perthe National List may be used, but no more thanfive percent of the combined total ingredients may contain non-organic content. Additionally, the label must include the name of the certifying agent, and may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the organic claim.

For multi-ingredient products in the made with organic category, at least 70 percent of the product must be certified organic ingredients. The organic seal cannot be used on the product, and the final product cannot be represented as organic only up to three ingredients or ingredient categories can be represented as organic. Any remaining ingredients are not required to be organically produced but must be produced without excluded methods (genetic engineering). All non-agricultural products must be allowed on the National List. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients, like enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods.

Multi-ingredient products with less than 70 percent certified organic content would fall under the specific organic ingredients, and dont need to be certified. These products cannot display the USDA Organic Seal or use the word organic on the principal display panel. They can list certified organic ingredients in the ingredient list and the percentage of organic ingredients.

Becoming familiar with organic labeling allows consumers to make informed decisions about the products they purchase. Consumers can be assured that the integrity of USDA organic products are verified from farm to market. You can learn more about organic labeling by visiting: Labeling Organic Products.

USDA Certified Organic: Understanding the Basics

Resources for Consumers and Retailers

This page provides consumers and retailers information on the organic label.Retailers can download a toolkit of displays they can use in their stores or online platforms to increase consumer awareness of, and trust in, the organic label.

Retailer Toolkit

• View theresource toolkitand individual graphics to use in stores or online marketplaces to increase consumer awareness and understanding of the USDA organic label.

What is organic?

Organic is a label that indicates that a food or agricultural product has been produced according to the USDA organic standards, which require operations to use practices that cycle resources, conserve biodiversity, and preserve ecological balance. The USDAs National Organic Program develops and enforces the standards for organic crops, livestock, and agricultural products so consumers can feel confident purchasing organic goods.

The organic standards set specific requirements for different types of products.The following list provides an overview of requirements for different types of organic products.

View more information on organic practice standards. See below to learn how organic is protected by law, inspected by experts, traced from farm to store, and shaped by public input.

Organic isProtected by law

• The USDA organic label is the only government-backed marketing claim for organic food sold in the United States. Only foods produced according to the USDA organic standards can display the organic seal.
• USDA develops and strictly enforces specific standards for organic food to clarify what practices and inputs can and cannot be used in organic production and handling.
• The USDA organic seal is a registered trademark, which allows USDA to enforce criminal penalties against uncertified operations falsely using the seal to misrepresent products as organic. This protects the integrity of the organic seal and keeps fraudulent products out of the U.S. organic market.
• NOP investigates complaints and takes action against businesses that violate the regulations.

Organic isInspected by experts

• Organic farms and business are certified and inspected by USDA-accredited certifiers.
• Specially trained organic inspectors visit organic farms and business yearly to confirm they still meet the organic standards. Every organic operation is also subject to additional, unannounced inspections and testing.
• USDA regularly audits certifiers to make sure that they are correctly inspecting farms and upholding the integrity of the organic label.
• To become certified organic, operations go through a rigorous process to show that their practices follow the organic standards.

Organic isTraced from farm to store

• The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule increases the USDAs ability to oversee and enforce the organic standards and trace organic products from the store all the way back to the farm.
• Farms and businesses must keep detailed records of the organic products they produce, buy, and sell. This allows businesses to choose trusted suppliers and verify that what they sell is organic.
• Certifiers audit organic supply chains to detect and deter fraud before it reaches stores.
• NOP manages the Organic INTEGRITY Database, which contains up-to-date and accurate information about organic operations. These systems and processes confirm that what consumers buy is truly organic.

Organic isShaped by public input

• Stakeholders and the public can provide feedback (public comments) on proposed regulations to shape final policy decisions.
• The organic standards are developed with recommendations from an advisory boardthe National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)composed of volunteers from the organic community.
• Stakeholders and the public can attend bi-annual NOSB public meetings and provide input to the NOSB.

How Organic Food Works

Look for the word "organic" on vegetables or pieces of fruit, or on the sign above the organic produce display. The word "organic" may also appear on packages of meat, cartons of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods. 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.

What Does "Organic" Actually Mean? Here's How to Decode the USDA Label, According to a Nutritionist

You see the word "organic" thrown around everywhere these days whether it's on food, clothing, beauty products, and more. But what does it actually mean to call something organic? The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board defines the term as this:

"Organic" is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.

Okay ... So what does that definition actually mean for you? Here's what you really need to know about buying and eating organic food.

What exactly does organic mean?

To label a food as organic, it must meet the guidelines set by the USDA. These include:

• Not using prohibited substances (most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) for three years prior to harvest
• Not using genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• Raising animals in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like grazing on pasture), feeding them 100% organic food, and not administering antibiotics or hormones
• Omitting artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors from multi-ingredient, processed foods with some exceptions, like baking soda in baked goods

Organic agricultural production still uses pesticides and herbicides that USDA's organic certification standards have okayed. Just because something is labeled "organic" does not mean that no pesticides or herbicides were used. It simply means that the ones applied met the USDA's production standards for the term.

The definition of organic also limits the use of "genetically modified organisms." GMO crops have been genetically altered to withstand the application of herbicides and pesticides chemicals that protect harvests from viruses and bugs. The introduction of GMOs into the food supply sparked a debate over their health and environmental implications. Anything bearing the USDA Organic Seal is automatically non-GMO.

What does organic food mean?

Contrary to popular belief, organic food relates back to agricultural production, not a specific nutrition- or health-related guideline. For a product to carry the USDA organic label, a third party must verify at least 95% of the ingredients as organic. The phrase "made with organic ingredients" means at least 70% of the ingredients used counted as organic.

Foods can still be organic even if they're not labeled as such. Since the standard requires third-party verification, there's a cost associated with the certification process. Food companies must consistently provide back-up documentation in order to use the "USDA Organic" seal. That makes it less desirable to smaller or newer brands that use organic production practices, but don't want to incur the costs of verification.

Is organic food really better?

Despite controversial headlines about this labeling claim, the agricultural practice used to produce food does not determine how nutritious it is for you, nor does it directly impact your state of health. Case in point: Organic cane sugar is still sugar. The nutrients you'll find within the food are what, over time, predominantly affect your health not the growing methods used to make it. Also, organic products will cost more than their non-organic counterparts, which is a critical consideration for most of us on a budget.

There's also the question of whether or not genetically modifying crops are harmful to health. But to date, there's no substantial data to imply that GMO crops available on the consumer market pose a direct risk.

Does organic mean healthy?

Short answer? No. Growing methods do not universally make foods better or worse for you nutritionally. This is especially true when you consider eating a balanced diet overall. For example, USDA Organic beef is grass-fed, which implies that you'll find slightly more omega-3 fatty acids in it compared to conventionally raised cattle. But if you're also regularly consuming seafood, then you're already getting the omega-3's you need.

When you see alarmist headline about a specific pesticide used in conventional agriculture, it's almost always talking about exposure through proximity (i.e., field work), not ingesting the foods we eat. Some population studies show a correlation between buying organic food and better health, but it's important to consider the other factors that buying organic implies, including lifestyle and socioeconomic status. Since there's no specific, isolated link between the two, we simply cannot use the term "organic" to imply "healthy" despite the fact that it's often marketed as such.

As for GMOs and your health? The most recent and comprehensive National Academy of Sciences report states that although genetically modified crops may vary in nutritional composition, the variation is no more than what would occur naturally among non-GMO crops. The report also analyzed data from large-scale studies since GMOs entered the food supply in the '90s, but did not find any associations with chronic disease incidence and dietary patterns.

The biggest issue with GMOs from a nutritional standpoint is the products in which theyre usually found: highly processed foods and beverages. The most predominant GMO crops corn and soybeans can go in packaged foods loaded with added sugar (e.g., sugary beverages made with corn syrup) and saturated fat.

Is anything really organic?

In food, yes. That's because the USDA requires companies to follow certain agricultural practices before getting verified. But in other types of products, that's not necessarily the case.

The Bottom Line: While we still don't know everything about GMOs and organic growing practices, there is one thing about this debate I can say with confidence: It's more important to know exactly what foods are wholesome, nutritious, and health-promoting overall rather than focusing on a specific label claim.

A registered dietitian with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University, Jaclyn Jackie London handled all of Good Housekeepings nutrition-related content, testing, and evaluation from 2014 to 2019. Prior to joining GH, she was a clinical dietitian at Mount Sinai Hospital. Jackie has also appeared as an expert guest on The Dr. Oz Show and The Today Show. She is also author of the book Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked).