| Definitions of organic food vary. | | | | home preparation methods, although home and |
| Organics can be difficult to explain by empirical | | | | mass-production techniques are quite different. |
| measurement. For one thing, most food industry | | | | For convenience foods, like frozen prepared foods |
| research of the last 50 years has focused on | | | | and cooked breakfast cereals, ingredients and |
| developing chemical agriculture and modern food | | | | methods are quite a mystery to most |
| processing -- less has been done to investigate | | | | consumers. A "certified organic" label is usually the |
| side effects of conventional agriculture that are | | | | only way for consumers to know that a |
| not obvious. Also, organics is concerned in large | | | | processed product is "organic". |
| part with what NOT to do -- "as much as | | | | In the United States, agricultural products that |
| possible, let Nature do its thing" -- rather than in | | | | claim to be "organic" must adhere to the |
| devising precise formulas for organic production. A | | | | requirements of the Organic Food Production Act |
| strictly rules-based definition of organic farming | | | | of 1990 (found in 7 U.S.C.A. |
| and organic food, consisting of approved inputs | | | | ¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚§ 6501-22) and the regulations |
| and practices, created and maintained by | | | | (found in 7 C.F.R. Part 205) promulgated by the |
| regulatory agencies, is inevitably subject to | | | | USDA through the National Organic Program |
| "exceptions" and to special interest pressures to | | | | ("NOP") under this act. These laws essentially |
| modify the rules. | | | | require that any product that claims to be organic |
| As organics become "whatever the rules say it | | | | must have been manufactured and handled |
| is", the line between organic and conventional food | | | | according to specific NOP requirements. A USDA |
| can get blurred. | | | | Organic seal identifies products with at least 95% |
| Early organic consumers looked for chemical-free, | | | | organic ingredients, as defined by the National |
| fresh or minimally processed food, and they had | | | | Organic Program. |
| to buy directly from growers: Know your farmer, | | | | Preservatives Unfortunately, there are no natural |
| know your food. Organic food at first comprised | | | | models for preserving food the way it's found in |
| mainly fresh vegetables. | | | | supermarkets. Food with a long shelf life is the |
| Personal definitions of what constituted "organic" | | | | cornerstone of the food industry, providing most |
| could be developed through first-hand experience: | | | | of the revenue and profits. In wealthier locales, an |
| talking to farmers and seeing farm conditions and | | | | impressive array of technologies is used to make |
| farming activities. Small farms could grow | | | | food last longer: home refrigerators and freezers |
| vegetables (and raise livestock) using organic | | | | at the consumer end, and industrial and chemical |
| farming practices, with or without certification, and | | | | practices applied along the food production chain, |
| this was more or less something the individual | | | | from seed to field to fridge or table. |
| consumer could monitor. | | | | In general, organic standards cover this entire |
| As consumer demand for organic foods continues | | | | process, specifying what is an "organic" ingredient |
| to increase, high volume sales through mass | | | | or practice. |
| outlets, typically supermarkets, is rapidly replacing | | | | However, as there is little natural reference for |
| the direct farmer connection. For supermarket | | | | preparing, for example, a precooked, frozen |
| consumers, food production is not easily | | | | dinner, a "certified organic" label may be hard to |
| observable, and product labelling, like "certified | | | | understand. |
| organic", is relied on. | | | | The main ingredients are one thing, the processes |
| Government regulations and third-party inspectors | | | | and additives used are quite another. |
| are looked to for assurance. | | | | Thus, in developed nations: most of what is in |
| With widespread distribution of organic food, | | | | supermarkets today can never be called "organic", |
| processed food has also become dominant over | | | | in the broadest, "all-natural", fresh or minimally |
| fresh, confusing the issue further. Modern food | | | | processed sense. The idea is not new, and whole |
| processing is complicated. Commercial preparation | | | | foods have long been part of the health food diet. |
| methods, the use of additives, the effects of | | | | But if demand for organics intensifies, agribusiness |
| packaging and storage, for instance, are outside | | | | interests dictate taking as much control as |
| the first-hand experience of most people, including | | | | possible of the definition of "organic food", by |
| organic farmers. Traditional, minimally processed | | | | including production practices that facilitate food |
| products, baked goods; and canned, frozen, and | | | | preservation, in order to maintain the existing |
| pickled fruits and vegetables, are easier for | | | | industry infrastructure. |
| consumers to understand by comparison with | | | | |