Organic food is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “food produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.”

In 1990, the congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). This act required the USDA develop national standards for organically produced agricultural products to assure consumers that agricultural products marketed as organic meet consistent, uniform standards.

The USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) developed national organic standards and established an organic certification program based on recommendations of a 15-member National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB is comprised of representatives from several categories including; farmer/grower, handler, processor, retailer, consumer/public interest, environmentalist, scientist, and certifying agents.

Since October 2002, all organic foods are grown and processed according to the strict national standards set by the USDA.

In order to meet these standards, organic crops must be produced without conventional pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizer, sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation.

If a food has a “USDA Organic” label (shown, at left), it must contain at least 95% organic ingredients and a government approved expert has to have inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer follows USDA requirements. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified also. Retail operations, such as grocery stores and restaurants, do not have to be certified.

Certification standards establish the requirements that organic production and handling operations must meet in order to become accredited by the USDA. For more information on the USDA organic standards, visit the USDA website at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

It is inconclusive whether organically grown food is safer than conventionally grown produce. The USDA makes no claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally processed food. Organic food differs from conventionally produced food in the way that it is grown, handled and processed.

Labeling standards are based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product.

Information obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture. For a list of links to other sources of information on organics, click here.