Certified Organic

What are some things to look for when reading the company’s literature in regards to their organic items? Or, who certifies that something is organic? I’m a cynic. And sometimes I think that some companies are just saying they’re organic just to get more sales.

The important word here is ‘certified’. Some businesses claim that their products are organic without any independent verification. Don’t know about the regulations in the US or Canada but here in Australia there are moves to tighten up on the use of words like ‘organic’ on labels unless the farm or other business is certified by an approved organisation.
Naturally there is huge opposition and cries of ‘over-regulation’.

that would be a great thing to see because everyone now is jumping on the wagon with those words… just like fat free (but loaded with sugar) became a gimmick lets hope that organic doesn’t go the same way

I’ve read that some of the “organic” foods that come from developing countries aren’t particularly organic because the growers don’t adhere to standards and no one’s checking up on them.

Yes Stepper, that’s the biggest problem with food imports – how do you know the production methods? The answer is – you don’t. So countries who don’t grow their own food are in strife.

So if it says it is certified organic, then is it? I am trying to buy things slowly but surely that say this but now I am worried. I am hoping that if it was made in the U.S. that is should be alright?

If a food product label says it is certified organic, accompanied by a certification number from a reputable organisation, then its a safe bet that the product is organic. There have been instances where certification numbers have been misused but the system is well scrutinised and legal action is taken to protect the credibility of certification.

I have always wondered this myself. I love buying organic but at the prices on some of it I would like to be darn sure that it is good for me and “organic” like they claim.

Thank you for letting me know. I am going to scrutinize my products a bit more now, I know it had certified organic but wasn’t exactly sure if they had a number on it on not.

If they’re certified, they should be displaying this very clearly. If it’s not mentioned or assumed, steer clear!

Gotcha!! Thanks for the information. Sometimes it is hard to find things in my little town that are certified organic.

I worked on an organic farm in Europe (EU), and standards there are strict, right down to the type of soap we used in the dairy! Unfortunately, in some countries, 60% organic is enough to get you the label, so you have to do your research. Eco-freindly is also less stringent than organic as a label.

It seems that is is quite hard to find certified organic in my area. Some places have it readily available while others do not.

I looked all of this up not that long ago, and I’ve already forgotten the key points. I’m getting old. LOL