U.S. Organic Standards are On Track

The new U.S. Organic Standards go into effect this October 21st. From that day on, agricultural products (production and handling facilities) can only be labeled “organic” in the U.S. if they meet national certification standards. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accredited certifying agents are now posted on the USDA website – a major milestone toward full implementation of national organic standards.The USDA will oversee and enforce the entry of only qualified organic food products into the United States, thus providing shoppers with the assurance that all organic food products sold in the United States meet stringent standards. Four certification agencies from outside the United States are among those accredited by USDA.The new national organic standards will allow four different labeling options based on the percentage of organic ingredients in a product. 100 percent organic Organic (contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients by weight, excluding water and salt) Made with organic (contains between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients) Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients will list the organic items in the ingredient panel.The sample cereal boxes to the right illustrate the four labeling categories. From left: cereal with 100 percent organic ingredients; cereal with 95-100 percent organic […]

Read More