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'Organic' Foods May Not Be as Pure as You Think

USDA's label increasingly meaningless as agri-business pushes in

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 3, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Demand for organic food has boomed into a $23 billion-a-year industry, but consumers who often pay twice as much for food with the coveted label aren't always getting what they expect. The criteria for obtaining a "USDA Organic" certification have been relaxed in recent years, with ostensibly organic products from cheese to beer containing synthetic elements, non-organic ingredients, and even pesticides, reports the Washington Post.

Corporations such as Kraft, Kellogg, and Coca-Cola have lobbied to get 245 different non-organic substances permitted in so-called "organic" food, a threefold increase since USDA labeling began in 2002. The trend has fueled growing complaints and prompted the USDA's inspector general's office to widen an investigation into the national standards. Critics say current conditions favor big businesses over truly organic farmers, many of whom are now being pushed out of the market.


Bottles of Heinz 'organic' tomato ketchup are on display inside Costco in Mountain View, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009.
Bottles of Heinz 'organic' tomato ketchup are on display inside Costco in Mountain View, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Dean Richardson walks through his organic food gardening area on his Homestead, Fla. nursery Tuesday, March 24, 2009.
Dean Richardson walks through his organic food gardening area on his Homestead, Fla. nursery Tuesday, March 24, 2009.   (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
Foods labeled organic often contain non-organic ingredients, synthetic products, and even pesticides.
Foods labeled organic often contain non-organic ingredients, synthetic products, and even pesticides.   (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
Toon
Jul 6, 2009 10:26 AM CDT
How can become a chemist without acquiring enough education to know that some words have multiple meanings?
freethemall
Jul 3, 2009 9:15 AM CDT
Well, aren't they?
AClotfelter
Jul 3, 2009 8:44 AM CDT
As a ketchup konnoisseur I must say that Organic Heinz is fantastic. I certainly prefer the taste to any other ketchup. That being said, the store was out of it a few weeks ago, so I got Heinz Reduced Sugar instead, and while it is not as good as Organic, it is better than most any other ketchup, with 75% less sugar.

 
organic food • organic • USDA • Department of Agriculture • organic farming • women's issues

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