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