Organic Food: How “Organic” is it?
July 5, 2009 by Mark Ellis
Filed under Business
The organic food market has become the fastest-growing sector of the food industry, blossoming over the years into a business that rakes in $23 billion each year. Part of the reason for organic food’s success, however, could be that the government has slowly eased the standards for what receives a U.S. Department of Agriculture “organic” label.
For example, organic baby formula may now contain synthetic additives that USDA employees found, three years ago, to be unsuitable for inclusion in a product with an organic label. Getting the government to change its mind only required lobbying from the makers of the baby formula, who won over a USDA administrator that was then able to overturn the decision to not allow the formula to have an organic label.
The debate rages within the food industry about whether or not such a ruling is fair. While some believe that any presence of nonorganic substances should completely disqualify a product as a candidate for an organic label, others believe that the benefits of certain nonorganic additions to “organic” products outweigh the technical breach of the organic label.
USDA Organic Label (Image: Flickr)
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and its members are organic advocates. We believe in, support, and advocate for the integrity of the organic label and strict enforcement of federal organic standards because this is fundamental to living up to the contract with consumers who choose or who are considering choosing organic products.
Contrary to what is stated in your posting, these standards have not been relaxed. Rigorously enforced standards can and do go hand-in-hand with growth. The organic industry and OTA pushed for national organic regulations that consumers could rely on. As a result, organic agriculture and products remain the most strictly regulated, as well as the fastest growing, food system in the United States today.
As part of its commitment to upholding the integrity of the organic label,the organic system outlines and follows a very specific process that materials must go through before they are permitted for inclusion in organic products.
NOSB, a citizen advisory board, consists of four farmer/growers, two handlers/processors, one retailer, one scientist, three consumer/public interest advocates, three environmentalists, and one USDA-accredited certifying agent. These volunteers assist the Secretary of Agriculture with the overall implementation of the National Organic Program (NOP).
NOSB conducts an extensive review of materials that are petitioned for inclusion in organic, solicits public comment, and makes a recommendation to NOP as to whether a material should be allowed. The NOP implements NOSB’s recommendation.
This process ensures that materials are not haphazardly permitted for use in organic production and reinforces the principles of transparency and integrity around which the organic system was built.
For more information about the organic system and the standards and regulations that underpin it, visit http://www.ota.com.