By specialty

What Does Organic Look Like?

Organic refers to fruits, vegetables and meats and their agricultural growing method that must meet strict standards related to pesticide, fertilizer and hormone use, soil quality and animal raising practices, according to the rules defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program for certification.
The phrase “organic is always non-GMO” is based on the idea that a producer, having followed their organic system plan, will not have purposefully used genetic engineering or GMOs.
Under these guidelines, the use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is banned in organic products. This means an organic farmer can’t plant GMO seeds, an organic cow can’t eat GMO soy or corn, and an organic soup producer can’t use any GMO ingredients. To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren’t using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with GMOs, from farm to table.
The phrase “organic is always non-GMO” is based on the idea that a producer, having followed their organic system plan, will not have purposefully used genetic engineering or GMOs.

What Does Non-GMO Mean?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are created by deliberately changing the genetic makeup of a plant or animal in ways that could never occur naturally. The majority of GMO crops currently on the market have been genetically engineered to produce their own pesticides and/or withstand herbicides that normally would kill them. Farmers use the herbicides to control weeds. Non-GMO certified products have been verified to have been grown and processed without genetic modification.

What’s the Organic Mark?

There are three different levels of organic – “100% organic,” “organic” and “made with organic.” “100% organic” means that all ingredients are organic, and no non-organic ingredients or processing aids are used.
“Organic” means that 95% of ingredients are organic and the remainder of ingredients are approved for use in organics. For a product to carry the USDA organic label, an accredited third-party certification body must verify that the product meets the 100% organic. Both the “organic” or “made with organic” claims will be clearly labeled but not as USDA 100% organic.
A “made with organic” claim may appear on a product that contains:

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  At least 70% organic ingredients, with the remainder of ingredients approved for use in organic products
  
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  Up to three organic ingredients or food groups
  

All three organic product claims (USDA organic, organic, or made with organic) may use the logo of the certification body underneath the distributor or manufacturer information on the label.