Making Sense of Food Labels: Organic Food and All Natural Foods

Making Sense of Food Labels: Organic Food and All Natural Foods

Making sense of food labels can be confusing if you don't understand exactly what you are reading. One area that many people don't fully understand is the difference between organic food versus all natural food. Let's examine exactly what is meant by each of these labels.

Organic Food: In order to use the designation “certified organic food”, a company must apply to and receive a government designation that indicates the farm or company is following a set of directions recognized as environmentally sound and sustainable. For example, a farm that uses renewable resources and soil or water conservation methods would meet the requirements to use the organic food certification related to vegetable crops.

Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are only organic if they come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using conventional pesticides or fertilizer created from synthetic ingredients or sewage waste. Each company must apply for the organic food designation and then submit to an inspection before being allowed to use the organic food symbol. Because of the stricter regulatory and other requirements, organic food prices tend to run higher than similar products that use more typical pesticides and unsustainable farming practices.

All Natural Food: The phrase “all natural” is not the same as organic. All natural, free-range, hormone free, sustainably harvested and natural may appear on a food label that is not organic. These claims must be truthful but they are not regulated or certified by an independent government body such as organic.

What to Look For: When shopping for the most environmentally sound products, look for the USDA Organic seal on 100 percent organic products.