Hints from Heloise - Organic (Definition)

By Hklbrries

Dear Readers: Organic food is more readily available now than before, but what exactly does "organic" mean? Here is some helpful information from the United States Department of Agriculture:

If food has the "USDA Organic" seal, it means that it is certified organic and has met all of the standards necessary when inspected by a government-approved certified inspector.

For crops (i.e., corn, wheat), that means no synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, prohibited pesticides, irradiation or genetically modified organisms were used.

For livestock, it means antibiotics and growth hormones were not used, and health and welfare standards were met for the animals.

For other multi-ingredient foods, it means that it has at least 95 percent certified organic content.

There are three types of organic labels:

"100 percent organic" means it's made with 100 percent organic ingredients.

"Organic" means it's made with at least 95 percent organic ingredients.

"Made with organic ingredients" means at least 70 percent of ingredients are organic, and there are restrictions on the other 30 percent.

Hope this helps clear up any confusion!

Ingredients

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Details

Adapted from sacbee.com

Preparation

Step 1

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