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Organic Rules
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Organic Foods

PLEASE SIGN OUR MAKRING VEGETARIAN pRODUCTS We are requesting the food, cosmetic and body care companies to voluntarily indicate on their products if they contain any animal by-products at all, that they do not contain animal ingredients except for dairy and egg products or that they do not contains any meat, fish or egg products or whether they are vegan or vegetarian.

The organic produce industry is a $6 billion-a-year business. Around 10,000 farms nationwide claim to be organic. There are 6,600 Certified Organic farms in the US. Organic farming is beneficial to the lakes, rivers and wildlife because they do not use chemicals and synthetic herbicides. Organic agriculture does not use toxic fertilizers and pesticides, which pollute the groundwater, which is a major source of drinking water. It also causes rivers and lakes to be less polluted. Organic farming keeps the topsoil on the fields and helps keep it from eroding away, which increases the quality of the soil.

Organic food is grown without using any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, gungicides, fertilizers and hormones. No artificial flavors or colors have been added.

Farms using organic farming techniques use nontoxic methods such as mechanical weeding, pruning, covering plants, mulching, using beneficial insects such as ladybugs (that eat other insects), rotating crops and planting more resistant varieties of crops. They may use botanical pest-control agents derived from plants and mild soap sprays if needed.

Many organic farmers do not use any pesticides at all. They use high quality natural fertilizers (such as cow manure) and other natural methods, which enable them to grow high quality, healthy plants. In this way, their plants are much more resistent to insects.

The pesticides used in organic farming are usually better for the environment, but are not necessarily less dangerous to humans. I spent some time on a farm that was doing organic farming, and I observed that they were spraying the vegetables with pesticides. I asked about this and was told that unless the vegetables were sprayed with pesticides that insects would eat them all up. I then asked whether the spray was less dangerous to humans and was told that there was a good chance that it was not.

The difference between organic pesticides and what is normally sprayed on crops is that non-organic pesticides are derived from chemical sources and not from natural or herbal sources (the sources that were used until the 1940s in the US and presently used in organic farming). Examples of natural pesticides used are chrysanthemum flower and nicotine from crushed tobacco. Pesticides used in organic farming are better for the environment, and are therefore much better for humans in the long run, but its safety to human is not necessabry better in all case, but it often is better. Just because fruits and vegetables are organic does not mean they should not be washed thoroughly to get rid of pesticides, as other produce would be washed.

There is a difference between "natural" and "organic" foods. Natural foods are minimally processed and do not contain artificial ingredients, preservatives and chemicals that are usually added to process the food. Certified organic foods are grown according to certain strict standards.

Organic farming methods are usually more labor intensive than conventional farming, so the cost of organic farming will usually be more, which may affect the end price of the produce. Also certain organic foods cost more because the demand exceeds the supply. As the supply increases, the price will most likely go down.

Rules to Be Known as Organic
On December 20, 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its ruling on what is the U.S. standard on organic produce. It made a decision on what would be defined as "organic." This ruling replaces any definition that individual states had had in defining organic produce and set a national standard. Foods that meet the new federal standards can bear the seal "USDA Organic." The Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman called the rules "the strictest, most comprehensive organic standards in the world." The ruling can be seen on the USDA Web site at: www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

No prohibited substances are allowed to be used on the land within three years of harvesting organic produce. Farmers must keep detailed records on the methods and materials that are used in their organic farming. Organic farms must be inspected each year by a third-party certifier.

It is best that organic seeds are used, but non-organic seeds can be used under certain conditions.
Crop pests, insects, diseases and weeds should be stopped as much as possible by pulling weeds or by biological methods (e.g., lady-bugs).

Crop rotation must be done. Organic farming uses crop rotation, so insects have a problem finding the crops. If a crop is planted in the same soil, it gives insects a chance to find them and destroy them.
Natural pesticides are allowed, as well as a list of synthetic pesticides (sometimes dangerous ones) and herbicides. Certain synthetic substances can be used if natural methods don't work.

Genetic engineering (man-made alterations of natural food), sewage sludge and irradiation cannot be used.
To be listed as an organic dairy farmer, there are requirements for housing, grazing and veterinary practices. How the manure is handled is regulated so runoff does not pollute waterways. There are also rules on how the dairy products should be processed and packaged.

Organic Product Labeling
There are several rules that processed foods must pass to be certified as organic. When food is processed both the processing plant and the finished product must be certified as organic. The finished products are then labeled by the percentage of organic ingredients that they contain. Only certified products can be labeled as organic. The name of the certifier must be listed on products that are more than 70% organic. A USDA seal can appears on products that are more than 95% organic. The seal is green and white and says "USDA Organic."

The identity and percentage of organic ingredients must be listed on food packaging. If a label says "100% organic" or "organic," the product must contain only organically produced raw or processed substances, excluding water or salt. If a product is 95% to 100% organic, it can be labeled "organic" on the front page. If a product is made from 70% to 95% organic ingredients, it can say "made with organic ingredients" on the front of the package. If a product is less than 70% organic, it cannot use the term "organic" on the main label. It can only list organic ingredients on the ingredient panel.

Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering is when the genes of unrelated plants and animals are combined to produce combinations of plants, such as between viruses and vegetables or fish and strawberries. Many people believe that genetic engineering is dangerous, unpredictable, and can reduce the nutritional value of food. Quite frankly, who would think any different? Of course, many people do. Often no proper tests have been done to judge the safety of genetically altered foods, so in many cases there is no proof that they are not bad for humans.

The British Medical Association has asked for a moratorium on commercial growing of genetically engineered crops. Many countries throughout the world have banned genetic engineered crops. Regrettably, America is not one of them.
This process can hurt organic farming because pollen from these crops can blow onto neighboring farm

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