Is organic always GMO
What Is the Difference Between Organic and Non-GMO? Here's What You Should Know
What Is the Difference Between Organic and Non-GMO? Here's What You Should Know
If you find the term organic confusing, join the club. Organic can be more expensive and for some reason, organic milk lasts longer; its unclear if organic equals all-natural; and to make matters even more unclear, food isnt the only item that can be organic. Theres organic mattresses, sheets, fertilizers, and sunscreens. Whats up with that?
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Furthermore, there's somewhat of a gray area when it comes to understanding what organic means, and its relationship to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Does an organic label automatically mean the item is non-GMO? Is organic always considered non-GMO? And what does non-GMO mean anyway? Keep reading to learn more about organic standards and non-GMO.
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What does organic mean?
Per the USDA, an organic label refers to an organism (plant, crop, food, or fabric) that has been produced without the aid of chemical or synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or fungicides. In order to reach the certification standard of organic, items cannot be grown using antibiotics or artificial growth hormones either. If items have used fertilizers, pesticides, artificial growth hormones, or antibiotics during the growing process, these items are referred to as conventional.
Is organic better? There are absolutely environmental and health benefits to buying organic. According to Organic Trade Association, such benefits include promoting public health and health of the environment, no use of toxic pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers, increased levels of nutrients and antioxidants, no use of artificial preservatives, colorings, added flavors, or ionizing radiation, and no antibiotics, growth hormones, or artificial drugs.
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Organic regulations also constitute specific regulations about soil, ensuring the soil in which organic seeds are grown is healthy and promotes biodiversity, which is another meaningful environmental benefit.
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What does GMO mean?
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants or animals whose genes have been modified or mutated in a laboratory, according to the Non-GMO Project. The mutating of an organisms genes results in an organism that does not naturally occur, but that has a new and desirable trait, which could be anything from herbicide-resistance to growing bigger, growing in undesirable weather conditions, and more.
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So, does organic mean non-GMO?
In order to live up to the stringent organic standards, an item may not be genetically modified. According to USDA, the use of GMOs in organic products is explicitly prohibited in the definition of what organic is. The USDA states, The use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is prohibited in organic products. This means an organic farmer cant plant GMO seeds, an organic cow cant eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an organic soup produced cant use any GMO ingredients.
You may be wondering, though: What guarantee is there that farmers wont use GMOs in their alleged organic products? Well, the USDA makes it difficult for farmers to get an organic certification. First, farmers have to prove that they can meet USDA organic standards. The website continues, To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they arent using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with prohibited substances, such as GMOs, from farm to table.
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The USDA also has a National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for organic products and GMOs arent the only items on the list. The list also prohibits ash from manure burning, arsenic, calcium chloride, lead salts, potassium chloride, rotenone, sodium fluoaluminate, sodium nitrate, strychnine, and tobacco dust.
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Are all organic foods non-GMO?
Yes, according to the USDAs very vigorous standards, all foods labeled organic are inherently also non-GMO. This means organic foods have not been genetically modified in anyway. In the example of organic meat, this means an organic cow was not fed any feed that was genetically modified either.
That being said, certain foods are at a higher risk for being genetically engineered or modified in some way, so if youre looking to only eat non-GMO, you might want to only eat these foods if they specifically are labeled organic or non-GMO. According to CNN, vegetables that are high-risk for GMOs include edamame, sweet corn, yellow summer squash, zucchini, and papaya from Hawaii or China. So, make sure to buy those organic.
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Are organic seeds non-GMO?
Prganic seeds are also non-GMO. An organic farmer is not allowed, under the USDAs standards, to plant genetically modified seeds. According to a 2014 article from the USDAs blog, organic seeds are described as a fundamental right from the start.
The article states, The use of organic seed is also an important aspect of organic certification. During each farms annual review and inspection, certifying agents also verify that certified operations use organic seed varieties."
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Certifying agents also make sure that USDA organic products meet all of the organic standards, including reviewing substances and inputs used to treat seeds and planting stock.
The article also adds, Like other organic products, seeds used in organic agriculture cannot be genetically engineered or be treated with prohibited substances.
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To ensure that organic seeds get proper treatment on organic farms, the USDA works with the National Organic Program (NOP), the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), and the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA). These organizations collaborate to better understand the organic seed market and to help farmers locate seed producers and supplies. This is a direct response to an increased demand for organic seeds, as the demand for organic food increases.
To help with this increase in demand, the NOP aided the USDA in the creation of the AOSCA Organic Seed Finder, a website that works to connect organic seed vendors with potential customers. The website allows users to search specific categories such as vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, and field crops, to accurately curate searches based on what the user is looking for.
The USDA states, Certifying agents and organic operations can use this tool to locate available organic seed and ensure the integrity of those seeds.
This article, originally published on Jan. 5, 2021, has been updated.
GMO Awareness
Organic is Usually GMO Free
Buying 100% Organic, certified Organic, and USDA Organic-labeled products is usually the easiest way to identify and avoid genetically modified ingredients.
The United States and Canadian governments do NOT allow companies to label products 100% / Certified Organic if they containgenetically modified foods.
To put it in more detail:
100% Organic:Must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). This is the only label that certifies a completely organic product AND completely GMO-free ingredients.
Certified Organic / USDA Organic:At least 95 percent of content is organic by weight (excluding water and salt). The <5% remaining ingredients must consist of substances approved on the USDAsNational List. GMOs areNOT on this list, so USDA Organic products are alsousuallyGMO-free.For verification, consult the following sources:
Made with Organic: Up to 70% of the ingredients are organic. These products can NOT carry a USDA organic label, however their remaining non-organic ingredients are produced withoutprohibited practices, including genetic engineering.
But lately, even organic products are at risk.
Why Say Usually?
If USDA certification requires at least 95% of content to be organic, and a GMO ingredient cant be included in that 5%, then USDA Organic is GMO-free, right? Not always.Depending on the product, sometimes there are tiny loopholes.
Says Barry Estabrook (author of Politics of the Plate) in thisexcellent article: The casings for those tasty USDA Organic sausages can come from conventionally raised animals that have been fed antibiotics (or GMO-laden corn). The hops in your favorite organic beer can be sprayed with all manner of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
The USDAs loophole list also includes two far more common ingredients:non-organic cornstarch(whichin our opinion is long overdue for removal from the acceptable list, considering how many sources of organic cornstarch are now readily available to commercial food manufacturers), and soy lecithin(though only one form of soy lecithin is allowed, and only when an organic option is not available).
The loophole list includes a few surprises too, such as the use of antibiotics on organic apples and pears, in order to prevent fire blight.Fortunately the National Organics Standards Board recently decided to disallow this practice effective October 2014.
How are these organic loopholes possible? Typically its because there is no readily available,commercially manufactured organic option for that particular product or ingredient (though in the case of organic cornstarch, we beg to differ). If youre curious to know more, heres a greatarticle that describeshow these decisions get made.
But sometimes theres another reason says Barry: TheNational Organic Standards Board(NOSB), which has the power to determine what materials can and cannot be used in organic production, too often weakens regulations in the face of intense lobbying by corporations who are more interested in the higher profits conferred by the word organic than in strong and meaningful standards. And lets just remember how much Monsanto has invested in corporate lobbying dollars
Getting discouraged yet? Theres more
Despite rigid organic certification procedures, organic certification is about the *process* of growing food, not about the actual resulting food. There is no testing process for organic ingredients, so there is a chance that GMO contamination could occur.
And sadly, GMO contaminationcan happen any number of natural ways: 1.) via cross-pollination between GMO and non-GMO crops, 2.) from trace amounts of GMO ingredients found in animal feed (as per the alfalfa/bluegrass section above), 3.) from seeds traveling by wind or by migratory birds that take root in the soil of an organic farm, and 4.) from ingredient suppliers that co-mingle various sources.
Just look at this recent response from the USDA regarding a series of questions raised by organic farmers after GMO alfalfa was approved.A similar situation is already happening in Australia a farmer justlost his organic certificationdue to wind-borne contamination from a neighboring GMO crop.
Even more sobering is the potential contamination from genetically engineered Kentucky Bluegrass. This grass is used in animal forage including grass-fed animals. Now that Kentucky Bluegrass been genetically engineered for RoundUp resistance, not only does it contain genetic material that is no longer natural, but it can be heavily sprayed with RoundUp to remove weeds. And because grass spreads rapidly, its only a matter of time before this becomes the next superweed.
Last but not least, contamination can also happen when it takesnearly three yearsfor a manufacturer who illegally uses the term organic in their labeling to be noticed, reported, investigated, and forced to amend their label. The oversight of organic manufacturers falls far short of assuring standards are met.
Buying USDA Organic / GMO Free
As explained above, buying USDA Organic is by no means a failsafe. However at this point in time, USDA Organic remains one of the best and most easily-identifiable ways of assuring that you are eating GMO-free foods most of the time.
Want to take it one step further? Buy products that are alsocertified by the Non-GMO Project. The certification process behind this label is currently the best possible way of assuring that you are eating GMO-free food (though bear in mind, not all of the products bearing the Non-GMO Project label are organicfor the best of both worlds, chose products that also include the USDA Organic label).
Sadly however, just like organic certification, the word usually once again comes into play: the Non-GMO Projects website clearly states that its labeldoes not guarantee a product is 100% GMO-free, because contamination is an ever-growing threat. So what does the label really mean?
GMO Free Certification Process
When you see the above label on a product, it means the producer took additional time, effort and money to go through a certification program similar to the one used to obtain organic certification, only its designed to focus on GMO-free processes.
Started initially by retailers, the Non-GMO Projects Product Verification Program (PVP)score requirements include traceability, segregation, and testing at critical control points. Compliant products bearthe Non-GMO Project Seal shown above (explained in detail here), indicating that the product has been produced in accordance with the best practices of the Non-GMO Project Standard.
Read a great article about the reasons why this program was started, despite similar process testing procedures for organic products.
Another GMO Free Certification Process
Those of you who are familiar withNatural Food Certifiers Apple K Kosher certification process /label will be happy to know that theorganizationnow offers their own non-GMO verificationprogram and label, called GMO Guard. Announced in 2013,NFCsprogram meets the no-GMO verification needs for the entire food chain from farm to table, is designed to be as clear and easy to navigate as possible, and remain affordable.
Other GMO Free Labels
When you see a GMO free label on an organic product, how does it compare to certified organic or certified Non-GMO Project standards? Hard to say.
Because there is no certification program associated with this label, it is simply the producers word that all fields, ingredients, processes, and storage avoid contact with, and contain no genetically modified ingredients.
This doesnt mean this label isnt valid; sometimes producers cant afford the cost of becoming certified organic or certified through the Non-GMO Project, and thus use this label as a sign of good faith.
And because so many consumers dont know that Certified Organic = GMO free (I didnt, until I did the research), it can be a more obvious and affordable way of letting customers know.
No label in sight? Sometimes you need to read the fine print: some manufacturers dont include a little GMO free icon, but they do include the words we dont use genetically engineered ingredients (or similar wording) on the back of their labeling (hope you brought your reading glasses to the grocery store).
Organic versus Certified Naturally Grown
When the USDA Organic programstarted in 2002, many small farms were forced to make a difficult choice: either pay high certification fees and complete mounds of paperwork to become Certified Organic, or give up using the word organic to describe their produce and/or livestock.
Believing that neither choice was very attractive, a group of farmers createdCertified Naturally Grown (CNG),to provide an alternative way to assure their customers that they observed strict growing practices.Their methods include using natural biological cycles incorporating a careful balance of micro-organisms, soil flora and fauna, natural pollinators, plants and animals to create a sustainable farming system.
The resulting products meet and in some cases exceed the USDA standards but do not carry any of the official government approved organic seals.CNG now consists of more than 500 member farms in 47 states and growing.
Note: the majority of theCNG producers (farms and apiaries)that I perused included the words GMO free in their product descriptions.
Other Natural Product Labeling Terms
Additional labeling terms such as Natural, Cage Free, Free Range, Certified Humane (raised and handled), Vegetarian Diet, Fair Trade, and Locally Grown have no direct relevance to whether a product is GMO free (genetically modified vegetables can and do get used in animal feed sometimes particularly corn fed to pigs, cows and chickens).
For a helpful description about each of these,click here.
For a helpful ranking chart about egg labeling in particular, click here.
The Even Longer Story Behind GMOs and Organics(includes excerpts from The Organic and Non GMO Report website)
To have a product certified as organic, a producer/manufacturer/farmer must undergo third party verification to ensure that the requirements of USDA National Organic Program are met. These requirements certify theprocessof growing the crop (they do not test the resulting crops/food). Processes that are reviewed include:
All production methods which must be free from most synthetic chemicals (e.g. pesticides, herbicides & fertilizers, antibiotics & hormones), genetically modified organisms, irradiation, and use of biosolids;
All farmlands which must be free from synthetic chemicals for generally 3 or more years;
Storage procedures producers must keep strict physical separation of organic products and non-certified products
On-site inspections producers are subject to initial (and sometimes subsequent) inspections.
Want to read an even more detailed description about organic certification?click here.
Organic certifiers want to ensure that GMOs are not used in organic products, but getting 100 percent verification that all substances are non-GMO may not be possible. Apparently the effort is significant, and requiring 100 percent verification could grind a processors operation to a halt.
Due to a lack of guidance from US National Organic Program (NOP), organic certifiers have developed their own methods to address GMO challenges posed by non-organic ingredients (for that <5% of non-organic ingredients allowed in foods labeled organic).
Oregon Tilth Certified Organic and CCOF developed flowcharts or decision trees to evaluate the GM status of ingredients. Quality Assurance International (QAI) developed a GMO Declaration that it asks clients to submit to verify the non-GMO status of ingredients.
Says Gwendolyn Wyard, Oregon Tilths processing program reviewer,The problem is that organic is a process certification. Were asking whether they use GMOs, not whether there is GM DNA or protein in the final product.
Verifying the non-GM status of some ingredients can be challenging. For example, the supply of the ingredient tocopherol/Vitamin E has been controlled by one or two companies who collected soybean oil from many co-mingled sources.Oregon Tilth requires that tocopherols come from an identity preserved, non-GM source, but Quality Assurance International (QAI) does not require an IP (identity preserved) tocopherol, says Jessica Walden, QAI technical specialist.
Instead, QAI developed a GMO Declaration to address questions raised by the NOPs rule on genetic engineering.The declaration describes QAIs policy toward GMOs focusing on three categories:
When a product is a non-organic agricultural ingredient such as cornstarch, in order to qualify as non-GMO in Organic and Made with Organic categories, the original organism that produced the ingredient must be non-Genetically Modified. When a product is a non-organic non-agricultural ingredient, such as flavors and colors, the product must be free from Genetically Modified DNA or proteins. Lastly, if microorganisms such as citric acid are used, the microorganism must be a non-GMO.
On the declaration, the supplier must highlight measures taken to verify their non-GMO claim, such as traceability/identity preservation, GMO testing, and independent audits.
QAIs GMO declaration has streamlined the response from suppliers for GMO documentation. Instead of receiving various GMO statements, QAI has its clients submit the GMO declaration.
Reading all of this, you gain a new respect for farmers who not only buck the industrial farming system by going organic, but by their perseverance in navigating the volumes and diverse methods of certification!
So what does this all boil down to, when youre trying to choose a product?
Just this week I was looking for mayonnaise at my local natural foods co-op. They had a fairly broad selection of various organic mayonnaises from different manufacturers.
All of the mayo labels said organic somewhere on the label. Two of them said USDA Certified Organic. But only one had GMO free in addition to organic on the label. Coincidentally, it was the only mayonnaise that was not made from one the Big Four GMO crops (corn, soy, canola or cotton seed oil).
Does that mean it was the only mayo that was GMO free? No. The others were labeled organic, which technically means they couldnt be GMO. Yet they didnt have a non-GMO label, and they were sourced from crops with high incidences of GMO farming (soy and canola).
I tried consulting my two non GMO shopping list iphone apps, but none of the mayo brands on the shelf were mentioned (either as a pro or a con).
So I ended up playing it extra safe and buying the safflower-based mayo with the Non-GMO label.
What would you have done?
Learn More
To view (or download if you wish) a PDF document containing an in-depth, evidence-based examination of the Myths and Truths about GMOs written by a noted geneticist,click here.
To keep abreast of breaking news, information and helpful recommendations about avoiding GMOs, consider liking ourGMO Awareness Facebook page.
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