Requirements Of Organic Food?

By Martha Standwood

Let's face it. Organic food products are high in demand. You'll see people walking down mall aisles looking for those organic food product sticker labels, a practice set by the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration.

Organic food must pass a standard set by the FDA. Organic food, for example, cannot have been grown with chemical additives, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Of course, there are numerous other criteria.

What are some requirements for certified organic food?

The demand for organic food has risen and it's caught the attention of the government. The government has stepped in to make sure everything goes according to plan by issuing certain criteria. Certified organic food involve more than not using pesticide and chemical fertilizer.

The entire production process of organic food must pass the stringent standards set by the FDA. These include how the seeds are grown, how the produce are maintained, and how they are transported to customers.

In addition, all the suppliers and 3rd party participants must pass the organic food standards. Seed providers, farmers, food processing companies, retailers, and even restaurants must pass their own appropriate criteria.

Something worth taking note here: these standards differ by country. Just because a certain practice is allowed in the United States, it doesn't mean the same applies to different countries.

In essence, when a food product is grown and delivered without the presence of synthetic products, chemicals, pesticides, and artificial growth hormones, during any stage of the production, the food product can safely be labeled an organic food. Imagine if sewer sludge were used as fertilizer; certainly, that would exempt the food from being called organic.

Suppliers and Third Parties Have Standards, Too

Every company involved in the making of organic food must pass their own meticulous standard. They must keep strict records of production and sales. They must also record every equipment type involved in production. They must also maintain a solid border between the organic production areas from the non-organic production areas.

As mentioned earlier, all the fields used by these companies must be kept free of pesticides and other chemicals that would violate standards. Usually, the initial number of pesticide-free years is three, but this number varies by country.

Of course, the land used are subject to periodic inspection to maintain the status of a certified organic food producer.

Although the process is cumbersome, it grants the user certification of organic food provider, an edge in some marketplaces, for the demand for organic food products have risen due to growing awareness on healthy lifestyles.