Understanding what is considered organic and what is not can leave many of us scratching our heads. Here is a quick guide to reading Organic labeling:
1. “100% Organic”- This means that all of the ingredients are certified organic. The USDA logo can be used on packaging
2. “Organic”- This means an item must contain a minimum of 95% of the ingredients as certified organic. The USDA logo may also be used on these products.
3. “Made with organic ingredients”- This means the product contains 70 to 94% of its ingredients as certified organic. The USDA label cannot be used.
4. “Ingredient panel only”- These items contain less than 70% organic ingredients. The word “organic” can only be used in the ingredient panel. No USDA logo can be on these products.
5. “All Natural”- Be cautious when you come across “All Natural” products. These products are often confused with organic. Although some products may contain a few organic ingredients, the term is food industry semantics to get consumers to pay more for cheaper quality products.
