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HARTFORD -- A growing number of food products boast all natural ingredients, while others are stamped certified organic, but the two are not regulated the same.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture currently has strict policies as to which food products and farming operations can be labeled certified organic.

To be labeled Organic, must be grown or processed in a certain way... free from preservatives, pesticides, or chemicals or things like that, Teresa Martin Dotson, a registered dietician, explained.

She said for some consumers the deterrent for buying non-organic fruits and vegetables is the potential exposure to chemicals, like pesticides, but said a consumer should consider the make up of each one. For example, strawberries grow close to the ground and are more likely to be exposed to pesticides. Also, a fruit like a strawberry is one that you eat the skin and all, meaning your own exposure to the chemical is greater.

If you're looking at something like a banana that you're taking the peel off and only eating the inside, then should you really buy organic? Martin Dotson explained. She added, It depends on how much youre going to eat, what the exposure is what part you're going to eat of the fruit and vegetable."

When it comes to meat and poultry, labels reading all natural come with a different set of terms to decipher.

"It basically means that they, the animal is allowed to live in their most natural environment so a lot of times you'll hear 'free-range chicken' or 'grass-fed beef', Martin Dotson said.

The U.S. Food and Drug administration calls all-natural food label regulating more challenging than organic. Their policy states natural must mean nothing artificial or synthetic has been added to the food. They state that policy was not intended to address food production methods or use of pesticides and does not consider whether natural should describe the nutritional benefits.

It was just last year the FDA sought out public input on the issue asking should the FDA define the term natural, if so, how?

"I think you have to look beyond 'natural' and look at what the true content in terms of nutrition is like how many calories, how many grams of fat are in it, Martin Dotson said on the matter. She also advises that nutrition labels may be the fine print that consumers should be paying closest attention to.

"If an item is 100 calories that might be okay but what else am I getting? Am I getting vitamins and minerals with that 100 calories or am I just getting 100 calories but no nutrition, she explained.

Nutrition labels are currently mid-makeover here in the U.S. According to new federal regulations they must all follow the new labeling guidelines by 2018.

Martin Dotsons other advise to consumers is to not get bogged down with organic or all natural labeling and get back to the basics.

The most important thing in terms of organic or natural or any of those things is really focusing on buying whole food. I think so many times we want everything in a bottle or in a to-go container or something like that but the best choices are things that are easily and readily available, like a whole apple or some carrot sticks, she explained.

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When to buy organic; Deciphering food labels - FOX 61