What are they?

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Foods labeled organic are foods produced without hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers, genetic modifications or germ-killing radiation.

So what does all this mean? ? ? ?

Let’s identify each word separately to try

to make sense of it all.

Hormones• Hormones are added

to speed growth of animals and ultimately speed the production of meat and milk. This will supposedly result in lower costs to consumers. It is unclear whether they affect the health of humans.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics commonly used in commercial animal feed and drinking water increase animal growth and treat and deter disease.

Herbicides• According to

the EPA these kill weeds and other plants that grow where they are not wanted.

InsecticidesDefined as an agent that is used to kill insects, it is unclear whether the benefits outweigh the risks to the environment and to human health.

Chemical Fertilizers

• Fertilizers provide nutrients for the growing plants. Chemical fertilizers are those that are made synthetically rather than naturally.

Genetic Modifications• Refers to plants created for human

or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. It is used to isolate and insert the exact desired gene to enhance the exact desired trait in a plant. This gene can be obtained from both plant and non-plant organisms.

                                                                                                                

Genes with your Salsa?How do you know if you are eating Genetically

Modified Foods?

Click here to find out

Germ Killing Radiation

• Radiation processing of food involves exposure of food to short wave radiation energy to achieve a specific purpose such as extension of shelf-life, insect disinfestation and elimination of food borne pathogens and parasites.

                                       

Irradiated onion (top left), Non-irradiated (top right), irradiated

potato (bottom left), non-irradiated (bottom right)

In the past decade, consumers have increased their buying of organic foods by 15 to 20 percent every year.

To help consumers with their purchases as of Oct. 21, 2002 any food with this label will have to meet criteria set by the USDA

What will the new

label mean?

If it says: 100% Organic and Displays the green and white

USDA seal…

It means: You get produce that is 100 percent organically grown without genetically

modified organisms, pesticides, growth hormones, or sewage

sludge.

If it says: Organic and the package displays the green

and white USDA seal…

It means: The product contains 95 % or more

organic ingredients (this covers processed foods such

as soups, crackers, and candy).

If it says: Made with Organic Ingredients and displays no

seal…

It means: At least 70 % of the ingredients in the product are

organic.

If the product contains fewer organic ingredients, they may be listed on the side of the package along with the nutritional information, but the package can’t say organic on the front.

Look for the green and white organic label to be assured that what you see is what you get.

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