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By
Jake Batsell
Organic food sales
are growing by about 20 percent a year and are expected to
surpass $11 billion this year in the United States. Projected
annual U.S. sales of organic foods: $11 billion in 2002; $20
billion in 2005.
Beginning Oct.
21, foods certified as at least 95 percent organic - that
is, produced without most pesticides, toxic fertilizers, growth
hormones and antibiotics - can carry an official "USDA
organic" seal. The new rules apply only to food produced
on or after Oct. 21, it may be several months before the seal
becomes commonplace in grocery aisles, particularly in the
case of packaged foods.
The national standards
replace what had been a mishmash of certification systems
run by individual states and private groups. The seal will
act as a safeguard against creatively worded packages that
identify a product as organic when only a few ingredients
are.
Under the new rules,
food will be labeled in one of four categories: Food that
is 100 percent organic may carry the new "USDA organic"
label and say "100% organic." Food that is at least
95 percent organic may carry the new seal. Food that is at
least 70 percent organic will list the organic ingredients
on the front of the package. If a product is less than 70
percent organic, the organic ingredients may be listed on
the side of the package but cannot say "organic"
on the front.
- Organic food
is produced without using most conventional pesticides,
petroleum- or sewage-sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering
or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy
products come from animals that are given no antibiotics
or growth hormones. Before a product can be labeled "organic,"
an inspector visits the farm where the food is produced
to make sure the farm meets USDA
While most in the
industry seem to welcome the idea of a national standard,
saying it will give organic food more credibility, the new
rules have irked some smaller growers. Some small-scale farmers
say lowering the bar to 95 percent for the "USDA Organic"
seal will encourage bigger farms to aspire to only the bare
minimum.
The USDA system
also calls for more extensive documentation, which some smaller
growers say is cumbersome. And new rules about how and when
compost can be used for organic produce have forced some small
farmers to alter the timing of their harvests.
Consumers, meanwhile,
still harbor reservations about organic foods that go beyond
the way they are labeled. Organic products are generally pricier
than standard fare, and no research has shown that they are
demonstrably healthier than conventionally
grown foods.
Seattle
Times October 2, 2002
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