'Organic' Must Now Mean Organic

More of this Feature • Part 2: Labeling Rules • Part 3: Growth and Production Rules     Related Resources • FDA on Frankenfoods • Consumer Resources • Current Recalls    From Other Guides • Consumer Advocate • Organic Issues • New Age Diet • Frankenfoods & Nutrition    Elsewhere on the Web • USDA Marketing Svc. • Complete Set of Rules • Fact Sheets on Rules • Report on CNN Online

Dateline: 12/20/00

Even after over 10 years of study and consideration of over 41,000 public comments, American farmers, retailers and consumers are going to need some time to digest the massive new set of standards for organic foods planted on them by the USDA today.

Americans first began to recognize the health benefits of organically grown foods during the 1940s. Since then, it has become rare to find foods in the U.S. marketplace not labeled as "organic." This growth in popularity created a need for verification that products sold as "organic" are indeed produced according to standards making them worthy of the label. 

In the late 1980s, the organic food industry itself petitioned Congress to create such standards. In response, the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) was passed. The OFPA, passed in the 1980s required the USDA to create the regulations finally issued today in Washington.

Speaking at a press conference, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman pointed out that the new rules should not be considered as an endorsement of organic foods by the federal government. "The organic classification is not a judgment about the quality or safety of any product. Organic is about how it is produced. It is a process issue," said Glickman.

Still, the rules are hailed as a long-needed improvement by many consumer and nutrition groups.

To briefly summarize what consumers can expect once rules of the National Organic Program take effect in approximately 60 days:

• Genetically modified -- so called "Frankenfoods" -- or irradiated foods will not be considered "organic" and should not be labeled as such.
• Products sold, labeled or advertised as "100 percent organic" must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients.
• Products sold, labeled or advertised as "organic" must contain not less than 95 percent organically produced raw or processed agricultural products. 
• Products sold, labeled or advertised as "made with organic materials" must contain at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients.

The complete text of the section of rules relating to product labeling of organic food products can be read on page 2 of this story. 

Complete text of the rules relating to growth and handling of organic food product can be read on page 3.

The full set of regulations contained in the National Standards on Organic Agricultural Production and Handling can be viewed or downloaded from the USDA at:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/nop2000/Final%20Rule/nopfinal.pdf 
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