Organics #1: Piece #9
Because of organic law’s strict regulations and the increased costs of organic farming, organizations and co-ops are forming their own versions of organic certification, employing terms such as “authentic” and “all-natural.” These programs can closely mirror that of the USDA’s, still offering healthy products, but not necessarily meeting the full requirements of the USDA Certified Organic program. Since individual certification groups have their own service marks, consumers need to be aware of claims such as “all-natural,” which can mean a variety of things, and does not necessarily have any nutritional meaning nor is it fully regulated by the FDA. Take corn for example, whole-grain is healthy, but its extracts form high-fructose corn syrup, which can lead to obesity and type-II diabetes. Yet, the all-natural phrase can still be applied because it comes from a plant.
