What are "natural" foods?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration informally defines "natural" foods as foods without anything artificial or synthetic included or added, including color additives. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy is that a natural product does not contain any artificial flavor or color, chemical preservatives, or any other artificial or synthetic ingredient, and the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed.

 

What does "organic" mean?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates organic. Organic foods are grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food production is based on a system of farming that strives for balance with nature, using methods and materials designed with the environment in mind.

 

Are "organic" and "natural" foods the same thing?

No. Natural foods can include organic foods, but not all natural foods are organic and not all organic foods are natural.

 

What types of organic foods are available?

You can buy a wide variety of organic foods, including cereals, fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, meat, coffee, tea and fruit juice. Many organic convenience foods also are available, such as soups, cookies, crackers, breads, cake mixes and snack foods.

 

What does it mean when I see "organic" on a food package?

According to USDA labeling rules:

• 100% organic means the product contains 100% organically produced ingredients.
• Organic means the product contains at least 95% organically produced ingredients.
• Made with organic means the product must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.

If a product contains less than 70% organic ingredients, they can only be identified as organic in the ingredient statement.