So, you wanna go “green”. Well it’s actually harder than we imagine. Companies dupe us daily on products that either make a claim to be organinc, or simply fool us into thinking that they are organic. It takes some research to actually get the products you WANT in your home. It shouldn’t. But the fact of the matter is, companies are constantly taking advantage of your lack of knowledge when it comes to their products. If they told us the whole truth, would we really still shell out for whatever they make? Probably not. Here is a REALLY great article sent to me by Anahita via Facebook. It nails companies like Natures Gate (even their organic products!) for not being completely honest with their ingredients and practices. I REALLY reccomend that you check out that article. It’s both enlightning and infuriating, and it may completely change the way you shop! You should also check out “Green America’s National Green Pages“, a reliable source for REAL organic products!
So what can you do? Well… besides doing some homework, you don’t have a lot of options. Here is what to look for while you are shopping.
If you are shopping for organic products, look for the USDA’s stamp of approval. Seeing this sticker means that the product in your hands has passed very strict standards put forth by the USDA for organic produtcs. These standards include not using antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, irradiation or bioengineering; they must adhere to certain soil and water conservation methods; and to rules about the humane treatment of animals.
Sounds great, right? Well, it’s better than nothing, but it’s important to remember that while the Government tells us that their organic certified products “don’t use pesticieds” that’s not the whole truth. They DO use pesticides. It’s nearly impossible for a farmer to yield enough product without it. What they MEAN is that the products that are certified organic do not use any pesticides on a list of banned substances. If you are REALLY super into going green, go here and download the PDF of banned and allowed chemicals.
Remember that “Organic” and “Natural” don’t mean the same thing. The term “organic” has to do with the practices used while farming. The term “natural” means virtually nothing. Produce, meat and dairy are natural. They grow from the earth. These days, the term “Natural” has come to mean “wholesome” and “good for you”. If you see it on fruits, veg or meats and dairy, it’s true simply due to the type of product you are looking at. If you’re looking at a box of Pop Tarts with the word “Natural” on them, think twice. They are telling you that SOME ingredient is natural… which is nearly impossible to avoid! I mean… FLOUR is made of wheat- so it’s natural!
Also, “free-range,” “cage-free,” and “hormone-free” don’t mean “organic”. Don’t assume that because birds were free-range also means that the farmer abided by the USDA’s rules for organics. Remember that these days, people almost always imply something other than or additional to what they actually said. You can’t use that habit while you are reading ingredients at the grocery store. There are four categories of “organic”, however ONLY 100% Organic products get the sticker.
•100% Organic: exactly what it says.
•Organic (95% – 100% organic): means that somewhere, some part of the “organic” process was compromised or worked around. This is usually found around produce, meat and dairy.
•Made with organic ingredients: means that the product is at least 70% organic. This is generally seen in packaged foods,
•Contains organic ingredients: means that LESS than 70% of the product is created with USDA certified ingredients or standards.
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