With organic food production shifting from a "mom & pop" operation to industrial production, it is no wonder that lines are getting blurred on what organic means. Before the 90s, organic food consumption was widely considered to be a niche market. Those days are over. Organic food consumption has been growing quickly since the 90s, and the food industry has noticed and adapted.
Most everyone is aware of the USDA label that is appearing on organic food products these days. According to the USDA, an organic farmer uses renewable resources and better manages food and water consumption for the product. USDA standards were put into place in October, 2002, known as the National Organic Program. It details various aspects of production, processing, and delivery of products. It is currently certified through 56 accrediting agencies.
Many people called for strict regulation in the 90s when it became apparent that claims of a product being organic were being overstated. However, USDA labeling has been met with a large number of challenges. Enforcement of standards has been poor at best. Very few 3rd party inspectors exist, certainly not enough to adequately perform the job needed, and many of those inspectors have been audited and poorly reviewed (*). Even worse, small farmers that were truly organic before the certification process met with financial difficulty obtaining certification.
So do we give up and eat convention food that is usually a little cheaper? A lot of local farmers are still producing organic food, but are not obtaining the USDA certification. The best solution seems to be to get to know some local suppliers and ask questions. What chemicals do they use? Is it genetically modified? Has it been artificially ripened or irradiated? These are the questions that you had to ask before the labeling, and as it turns out, they are the questions that still need to be asked.
Dr. Brian Lancaster
Chiropractor
Valley Chiropractic in Frederick, MD
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