When you go to the supermarket, you can see several food products that claim to be organic. Numerous people are seen discussing benefits, prices and stores of organic food. Schools have started using organic milk in their cafeteria, lunch rooms and vending machines. Demand for organic beef is doubling every year in the US.

Scientifically, organic means a substance that contains carbon. But when we refer organic with respect to food or consumer goods, the meaning is different.

So what does organic mean? According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, 'organic farming' or 'organic produce' refers to food (and other products) produced by using feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employing chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides.

Organic labeling is supposed to indicate more than just the constituents of products. It indicates that production methods focus on minimizing air, soil and water pollution. The National Organic Program (NOP) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses stringent standards and checks to ensure that consumers are assured of a supply chain, right from the producer to the retailer, that adhere to standards for maintaining the organic integrity.

What is Organic Food?
Organic food is referred to food items that are prepared according to organic means as defined by the certifying body. Common organic foods include organic meat, organic milk, organic oils, organic vegetables, organic groceries, and organic coffee.

The USDA categories food products into:

1. 100% organic: Must contain 100 percent organically produced ingredients.
2. Organic: Must contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
3. Made of organic ingredients: Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.
4. Have some organic ingredients: May contain less than 70% organic ingredients.

The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people. This does not mean that everything natural is organic, e.g., the USDA does not include water or salt as constituents of organic food.

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mohammad meraj sambhaly  - Organic Food 2009-11-04 22:55:17 growing number of consumers, and especially those dealing with chronic illness, are switching to organic food. A key motivation for consumers doing this is a simple belief that it's better for them. But is it true that there are health benefits to eating organic food? Official food agencies around the world are unanimous in claiming there is no evidence of a nutritional difference. Yet a more careful and thorough review of the science comparing organic and non-organic food reveals that, collectively, the available evidence does indeed support the consumer belief and claims by the organic industry that their food is safer, more nutritious, and better for you than non-organic food Reply

maria  - Organic Food - 2 2009-07-15 07:35:06 Character problem. empty comment Reply

maria  - Organic Food 2009-07-15 07:33:40 Organic agriculture is defined as a system of farming based on principles of human, animal and environmental health. At its core, organic farming is about avoiding the use of agro-chemicals to minimise damage to the environment and wildlife. The concept of organic has been around for more than half a century - Walter Northbourne coined the term in Look to the Land, published in 1940. During the early to mid 1990s, the organic market really took off in the UK. The global organic market is now worth more than £17 billion and supplied by more than 300,000 square km of certified agricultural land Reply

Lydia Seals  - Brochure 2009-03-14 12:13:09 Hi, I am heading up a project for a gift basket for new moms having just delivered a baby in our local hospital (Brownwood, Texas). I am looking for a brochure that will give a short breakdown of the benefits of organic choices. Do you offer anything like that or know where I can get several? Thanks!! Sincerely, Lydia Seals Reply

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