Most foods you see at a typical supermarket are conventionally grown, meaning that their farmers and producers may have used pesticides, insecticides, chemicals or other non-natural substances to grow and harvest them. Foods that are certified organic, in contrast, are grown and produced according to strict government standards. These standards relate to the environmental impact of the crops, the chemicals and additives used to grow them and even how the foods are labeled.
General Definition
The complete list of organic standards as outlined by the United States Department of Agriculture is several pages long and includes very detailed specifications. In general, when you see a certified organic product for sale, it means that the product has been grown, harvested, manufactured and produced without the use of pesticides, herbicides, toxins, chemical treatments and other non-natural substances. As a result, organic products almost always have a lesser environmental impact than conventionally grown products.
Standards
Organic foods are grown in accordance with the USDA's Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The Act states that all foods labeled as certified organic must have been grown, produced and handled without the use of synthetic chemicals; must have been grown on land that has been free of synthetic chemicals or prohibited substances for at least three years preceding their harvest and must have been grown and handled according to a personalized "organic plan" between the producer and food handler.
Labeling
According to the Food Standards Agency, a product cannot be labeled as certified organic unless it contains at least 95 percent organic materials. A label of "made with organic ingredients" or "contains organic materials" is acceptable for products that contain between 70 and 95 percent organic components. If an item is labeled "100 percent organic," it must contain only organically produced ingredients and processing aids and identify each ingredient in its label. Other labels that may sound similar, such as "all natural," "hormone free" or "cage free" do not indicate that a product is organic.
Environment
Organically grown foods are produced with natural methods that are designed to minimize environmental impact. The Mayo Clinic states that organic farming reduces pollution output and encourages soil and water conservation, which conventional farming does not always do. Another difference is that animal-based organic foods are produced from animals that eat organic meal and have access to clean housing and the outdoors, whereas some conventional practices are less healthy for the animals involved.
Nutrition
According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, foods that are certified organic do not contain any additional nutrients and are nutritionally the same as conventionally grown foods. In some cases of study, however, the School found that there was a difference in mineral content of organic food and conventional foods. Some organics contained higher amounts of magnesium and zinc, for example, and some conventional foods contained more nitrogen. However, no definitive statement has ever been released by any organization that note a significant nutritional difference between organics and conventionals.
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