If you are like me and get your produce as much as possible from your local farmers market, you probably expect to receive the best quality food money can buy. After all, you are going directly to the source where you can see, smell, touch and sample real food, just as nature made it.
The demand for natural food has steadily grown in the U.S. since the 1970s and is now at an all-time high. The underlying assumption is that natural is superior to processed, altered or packaged.
Food manufacturers and retailers love using terms that appeal to peoples longing for the real thing, even if its nothing of the kind. There is supposed to be 100% natural fruit- or vegetable juice in aluminum cans. A fat loss overview can help you establish a clear outline of what you demand to focus on to accomplish your fat reduction target if you're a rookie; or serve as a reminder for these who are at an intermediate or more advance stage of their weightloss strategy. Applying are seven steps that can serve as tips for your special weight loss system. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not exactly the same thing. Many weight loss applications have fooled people into thinking that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss programs only work by producing a person's body to lose more muscle tissue and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. Milk and cheese come from happy cows that are allowed to roam freely on luscious meadows. Eggs are laid by free-ranging chickens frolicking around the old farmhouse. Of course, much of this is mere fantasy, but it sells.
So, how can consumers really know what they are actually buying when labels say all natural, organic or ecological?
Unfortunately, many food products can be sold as natural, regardless whether the facts back up the claim or not. In the U.S., there is no legal definition of terms and phrases like natural, 100% natural, all natural ingredients, etc. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually discourages food manufacturers from using these words because consumers may believe that natural is equal or even superior to organic, which is clearly not the case.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes the meaning of natural somewhat vaguely as food that has undergone minimal processing, which also excludes the use of artificial ingredients and added colors. But meat from animals that were treated with artificial hormones and that was injected with saline solution to add flavor may still be advertised as natural, to name just one example among countless others. In other words, the predicate natural is often not worth the shiny label its printed on.
By contrast, the term organic is clearly defined and highly regulated in most countries, although standards vary. Organic food production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 by the USDA.
For food products to be certified organic, the producers have to comply with a number of strictly controlled conditions and processes, such as avoidance of synthetic chemicals and substances like fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, additives. The land on which organic plant foods are grown have to be free from prohibited synthetic chemicals for at least three years or more.
Also excluded are the uses of genetically modified organism, irradiation and biosolids. Certification for organic animal food products forbids the use of growth hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified feed or animal by-products in raising of livestock. Organic eggs have to come from chickens that are both cage-free and free-range.
Organic products have to be physically separated from their non-certified counterparts to avoid cross-pollution. Keeping detailed written production and sales records, including documentation of storage, processing, packaging and shipping is also required. Periodic on-site inspections are conducted to make sure that no violations occur.
In the U.S., for processed foods to be labeled organic, they must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Products that have a minimum of 70 percent organic ingredients can use the label contains organic ingredients.
Principally, any business involved in food production can be certified organic, including seed suppliers, growers, food processors, retailers and even restaurants as long as they remain in compliance with the requirements. The certification process, however, is expensive and many small farm operators choose to forgo certification even if their practices meet or exceed those required by the USDA.
Ecological farming, a.k.a. sustainable agriculture is, like natural, a much less defined description. Generally speaking, ecological farming uses principles that are based on the desire to maintain harmonious relationships between food production and the environment. Central elements are sensible and prudent use of natural resources, such as soil, water and livestock; respect for biological cycles and controls; long-term economic viability of farm operations as well as enhancement of life for farmers and society as a whole.
The issue of ecological or sustainable agriculture was briefly addressed by congress in the 1990 farm bill, but not much has been done about it ever since. Private organizations like the Food Alliance and Protected Harvest have started to establish some standards and bestow their own certifications, which, of course, have no legal binding power.
So, the question for consumers remains: Is it worth buying foods that may be healthier, more trustworthy and kinder to the environment but are often much more costly than their regular counterparts? There is no easy answer to that.
I personally try to eat as healthy as I can. To stay within a reasonable budget, I mostly buy locally grown foods when they are in season. Foods I eat raw, like fruits, carrots, tomatoes etc., I preferably buy organic to avoid exposure to pesticides. With produce I can wash, peel and cook, I feel comfortable using the regular kind. Animal products are another matter. I usually buy wild-caught fish (not farmed) and poultry that (I think) comes from reliable sources. Other than that, I have to trust that doing my best to shop smartly will more or less keep me out of harms way.
Timi Gustafson R.D. is a clinical dietitian and author of the book The Healthy Diner How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun, which is available on her blog, Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D. ( http://www.timigustafson.com), and at amazon.com. You can follow Timi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TimiGustafsonRD
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