Organic food: health food labels

Science World, Feb 7, 2003

Does "organic" mean totally natural? Not exactly. In recent years, food labeled "organic" has flooded supermarkets. "The problem was, nobody knew what organic meant," says Joan Shaffer, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). So Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990 and mandated the USDA to develop regulations. The result: Last October, the USDA Organic Seal went into effect. "Products that display this seal must meet a long list of criteria set by the National Organic Standards," says Shaffer. Below are some of the rules. For details, visit www.nop.gov/nop.>