Organic labeling standards
Recent news about Wal-Mart carrying items labeled “organic” got me to thinking about what organic really means. The USDA set standards for organic labeling in October of 2001, and continually updates those standards, most recently in June of 2006. (Full text of those standards can be found here.)
But how does the United States government enforce those standards? They have 56 certifying agents for the whole country; in my home state of Ohio, which covers 40,948 square miles, there are TWO certifying agents. (There are also 40 agents overseas) Enforcement, therefore, can’t be anything but haphazard at best and terrifyingly sloppy at worst. While the USDA’s web site says that they fine $10,000 for each violation of the organic labeling standards, how can they possibly keep up with every organic producer? The simple answer is that they can’t.
I was very surprised to learn that conventionally produced fruits and vegetables retain pesticides even after washing and cooking; a great reason to go organic, especially if you have children. The Environmental Working Group, a consumer watchdog group, lists 12 fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic, because they absorb the most pesticides during the growing process.
In the summertime, finding organic produce is easier, relatively speaking, than in the winter, at least in my northern neighborhood. Locally grown corn, tomatoes, watermelon and strawberries can be found on country roads being sold by the farmers who produced them. And while they definitely taste better than what I can pick up in the grocery store, they’re not usually organically produced.
Keep watching this space for an upcoming article on Community Supported Agriculture, one of the best ways to make sure that you’re buying locally produced fruits and veggies.
