The statistics don’t lie: in the face of an economic downturn and the ever-increasing cost of living and food in the US, health-conscious consumers are buying “Certified Organic” foods. Companies offering organic produce, meat, and dairy products pay a premium to produce food without harmful pesticides, hormones, or excessive cruelty. Consumers pick up the extra cost in exchange for peace of mind. Arguably, the extra cost is worth it. Worth it, that is, so long as the labels aren’t lying to us.
A Fledgling Market
Organic food production is a relatively new and unregulated industry. Since producers of organic foods can reasonably charge a premium for their products, it’s very tempting for non-organic producers to lie on their labels. Until recently, it wasn’t even illegal. Several major chain grocery stores have caught their suppliers lying about their food production practices. So, whom should consumers trust?
USDA Certification
The USDA has established regulatory guidelines for the organic foods industry. These guidelines are upheld by inspectors who visit farms and factories that produce organic products. Unfortunately, the USDA’s labeling can be deceptive. Here’s a quick rundown of the different categories of “organic products” and what the labels actually mean:
“USDA Organic”: foods with this label are required to contain at least 95% organic products. It’s important to note that no official program exists to insure that a product contains 100% organic products. While many companies add a label claiming that their food is truly 100% organic, the USDA doesn’t verify this claim.
“Made With Organic Ingredients”: any product with this label must contain more than 70% organic ingredients.
“Organic Ingredients”: anything less than 70% organic content has this label. The total percentage of organic ingredients can range anywhere from 69% organic to less than 5% organic. (Investigations have shown that most foods with the “organic ingredients” label are less than 20% organic.)
Beyond Food
If finding truly organic foods wasn’t enough of a hassle, verifying the organic authenticity of makeup, hair, and skincare products can be downright grueling. Prior to 2005, the USDA actively regulated the organic health and beauty markets. After 2005, lawmakers chose to limit the scope of USDA involvement to the food industry.
Consumers who require organic health and beauty products should do significant research before purchasing any “organic” products. Reputable providers of organic products will happily disclose the source of their ingredients and will allow privately owned organic certification organizations to review their production practices.
Private Organic Certification
Many followers of the organic revolution believe that the future of accurate organic labeling won’t involve the USDA. Since the early 2000’s, several privately owned organic certification organizations have moved to the forefront of the organic foods, health and beauty industries. Since these private certification groups aren’t dependent upon government funding, several major distributors of organic products are insisting that all of their organic health and beauty products obtain organic certification despite the lack of government oversight.
Better, more comprehensive organic labeling practices will only be instituted if customers vote with their wallets as well as their ballots. Consumers who choose only authentically organic products will encourage honest business practices and better labeling.