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When you see alarmist headline about a specific pesticide used in conventional agriculture, it's almost always talking about exposure through proximity (i.e., field work), not ingesting the foods we eat. But if you're also regularly consuming seafood, then you're already getting the omega-3's you need. For example, USDA Organic beef is grass-fed, which implies that you'll find slightly more omega-3 fatty acids in it compared to conventionally raised cattle. This is especially true when you consider eating a balanced diet overall. Growing methods do not universally make foods better or worse for you nutritionally. Tonic Photo Studios Getty Images Does organic mean healthy? But to date, there's no substantial data to imply that GMO crops available on the consumer market pose a direct risk. There's also the question of whether or not genetically modifying crops are harmful to health. Also, organic products will cost more than their non-organic counterparts, which is a critical consideration for most of us on a budget. The nutrients you'll find within the food are what, over time, predominantly affect your health - not the growing methods used to make it. Case in point: Organic cane sugar is still sugar. That makes it less desirable to smaller or newer brands that use organic production practices, but don't want to incur the costs of verification.ĭespite controversial headlines about this labeling claim, the agricultural practice used to produce food does not determine how nutritious it is for you, nor does it directly impact your state of health. Food companies must consistently provide back-up documentation in order to use the "USDA Organic" seal. Since the standard requires third-party verification, there's a cost associated with the certification process. The phrase "made with organic ingredients" means at least 70% of the ingredients used counted as organic.įoods can still be organic even if they're not labeled as such. For a product to carry the USDA organic label, a third party must verify at least 95% of the ingredients as organic. What does organic food mean?Ĭontrary to popular belief, organic food relates back to agricultural production, not a specific nutrition- or health-related guideline.
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Anything bearing the USDA Organic Seal is automatically non-GMO. The introduction of GMOs into the food supply sparked a debate over their health and environmental implications. The definition of organic also limits the use of " genetically modified organisms." GMO crops have been genetically altered to withstand the application of herbicides and pesticides - chemicals that protect harvests from viruses and bugs. It simply means that the ones applied met the USDA's production standards for the term. Just because something is labeled "organic" does not mean that no pesticides or herbicides were used.
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Organic agricultural production still uses pesticides and herbicides that USDA's organic certification standards have okayed.