5 Major Myths About Your Organic Food

Posted: October 13, 2014 at 4:52 pm


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Source: UC Davis; Certified Organic Farm

You may think you know everything about your organic food -- but you don't. There are major misconceptions about this $35 billion industry. Here are the five biggest myths about your organic food.

1. Organic products are 100% organic. The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, isn't a zero tolerance regulator. For any multi-ingredient "organic" product you pick up, from Wal-Mart to Whole Foods Market , only 95% of its contents have to be certified organic .

For the USDA, it's a matter of convenience and feasibility. Testing for 100% full compliance of anything is a regulator's worst nightmare. Additionally, some ingredients simply don't have organic options on supply. The USDA does note, however, that investigative eaters can take a closer look at the ingredients list; if a specific ingredient is labeled as "organic," then it is. And for those American agricultural complex skeptics, the European Union has its own 95% rule.

2. Organic crops aren't fertilized. There's more to your organic arugula than meets the eye. Fertilizers are used to replace necessary soil components that constant cropping removes. Nitrogen and phosphorous, specifically, are two main ingredients in the fight for fertilizer.

While the USDA forbids farmers to use sewage sludge (yes, this is actually a common non-organic addition ) or synthetic fertilizers on their organic fields, they're free to use most other fertilizer types. Among the more recognizable additives are animal manure, compost (which can include animal materials), and ash.

3. Your organic meat grazed for grub.

Source: USDA.gov

Organic meat was once an organic animal. But that doesn't mean that Mr. and Mrs. Moo spent their days grazing in the grass. While the USDA requires that animals spend at least 120 days a year munching away on organic pastures, just 30% of its nutrition must come from the pasture itself. And in the off-season, 100% of its sustenance can come from organic feed.

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5 Major Myths About Your Organic Food

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Written by simmons |

October 13th, 2014 at 4:52 pm

Posted in Organic Food




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