I stumbled across some information on organic labeling while I was investigating my last post. I was surprised that food labeling was very misleading. Below are examples of labels that are both meaningful and meaningless. I copied and pasted this information and put a link below for more information on labels.
MEANINGFUL
“100% Organic.” No synthetic ingredients are allowed by law. Also, production processes must meet federal organic standards and must have been independently verified by accredited inspectors.
“Organic.” At least 95 percent of ingredients are organically produced. The remainder can be non organic or synthetic ingredients. One exception: Organic labels on seafood are meaningless because the U.S. Department of Agriculture has no standards to back them up.
“Made with Organic Ingredients.” At least 70 percent of ingredients are organic. The remaining 30 percent must come from the USDA’s approved list.
MEANINGLESS (this is pitiful)
“Free-range” or “free-roaming.” Stamped on eggs, chicken, and other meat, this label suggests that an animal has spent a good portion of its life outdoors. But U.S. government standards are weak. The rule for the label’s use on poultry products, for example, is merely that outdoor access be made available for “an undetermined period each day.” In other words, if a coop door was open for just 5 minutes a day, regardless of whether the chickens went outside, the animals’ meat and eggs could legally be labeled “free-range.”
“Natural” or “All Natural.” This label does not mean organic. The reason is that no standard definition for this term exists except when it’s applied to meat and poultry products, which the USDA defines as not containing any artificial flavoring, colors, chemical preservatives, or synthetic ingredients. And the claim is not verified. The producer or manufacturer alone decides whether to use it.
http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/eco-home.cfm?redirect=1
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