Understanding the Organic Label on Food
Understanding the Organic Label on Food
By Anita Deming
Cornell Cooperative Extension - Adirondack Harvest
We are seeing so many new labels on food today, yet many of us do not know exactly what these labels mean. Marketers hope to provide you with information to help you manage your food allergies and/or to encourage agricultural production methods that you believe in.
A familiar label is “organic.” When I took organic chemistry, it meant any item with carbon chains as its basis. This would include plastic. Now when we talk about “organic” food, it means that the crops were raised on ground that has not had synthetic fertilizer nor certain herbicides nor insecticides for over 3 years. It usually means that the farmer has been inspected by an agency licensed to approve farms as following the federally approved organic regulations. Some certifying agencies add on additional parameters, but all must pass the minimal federal regulations. Farms selling less than $5,000 dollars of product per year are not required to be inspected.
Any livestock must have been fed organic feed since it was born in order to be called “organic.” All “organic” animals must have access to grass for 80% of the grazing season. Only certain medicines may be used. If an “organic” animal gets sick and needs to have antibiotics, the rules state that the animal must be treated, and then called non-organic.
There are several levels of processed organic labels: “100% Organic” is just that and is easy to understand. “USDA Certified Organic” is at least 95% organic by dry weight. It might have some spices or other minor additions that were not certified organic. “Made with Organic” will be 75% to 95% from organic certified food. Finally, a processor may state the amount that is organic if it is less than 75%. If only the pasta in an Italian dish is organic, the label might say 50% Organic.
It takes a lot of management to grow some organic crops. Grass is relatively easy and organic hay is frequently the same price as regular hay. However, organic corn is much harder to grow as it needs a lot of nitrogen, which means a lot of manure and weed control by tillage. Some fields will need so much manure to get enough nitrogen that the farmer will apply 3 times the needed phosphorous. If the fields are low in phosphorus they can absorb the extra. However, over time this can build up and cause phosphorus to leak out of the system and into waterways. It takes a lot of time managing crops to be sure the manure is spread around and does not build up near water courses.
Since organic corn is so hard to grow, it is very expensive. This means that certified organic animals that eat a lot of corn such as chickens and pigs can be very expensive to raise. Cattle can gain weight on intensively rotated grass pasture pretty well as they have a ruminant stomach that digests grasses with bacteria in the rumen and then they digest the bacteria in the hind gut. The bacteria in the rumen need both protein and starch to grow optimally, so adding a little fast digesting corn to mix with the grass’ fast digesting protein will provide a balanced ration.
Organic farmers need to watch their crops and livestock closely so they can take action quickly if any of the systems get out of harmony. Diseases and weeds can quickly ruin a crop, and potentially reduce yields. It is easy to see why organic crops and meat are so expensive.
As an educator for USDA and Cornell University, I do need to convey that there is no evidence that organic farming practices contribute to making food safer for consumption.
Last updated April 20, 2020