There are a lot of organic food definitions today, some of them accurate while some of the organic food definitions are really definitions of natural food. Knowing the different and accurate organic food definitions will help you know why you should choose them and where you can find them. So, here are several organic food definitions that will clarify any misconception or false impression about organic foods.
To help us easily understand what organic food is, let us start with the dictionary organic food definitions. The Merriam Webster organic food definition is food that is produced without the use of feed or fertilizers that are chemically formulated. They are produced without the use of antibiotics, growth stimulants and pesticides, such as in organic farming. According to Oxford dictionary organic food are those that are produced without using artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers. And according to Mosby Medical Dictionary, these are foods that are produced without using commercial chemicals and or synthetic products that are generally used to enhance the color or flavor of the food.
Several organizations, agencies and associations also have their own organic food definitions. The National Cancer Institute defines organic food as foods that are produced without using man made fertilizers or drugs. The Daily Green defines it as crops and meats that are produced or raised without sewage sludge, ionizing radiation and pesticides. Organic meats come from animals that were not given drugs, such as growth hormones, and have not been fed with animal byproducts.
These organic food definitions all offer us an idea of what an organic food is. However, when it comes to seeing organic food label on the products, these are not just foods that were produced, raised or processed without using chemicals, synthetic products or fed with animal byproducts. These foods passed the standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture. As such, the Department of Agriculture offers more than just organic food definitions. It has created standards for foods to be considered as organic food.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, organic foods are foods that are grown and processed that subscribes to organic farming methods. This means they are produced or processed using recyclable resources and methods that promote biodiversity. The crops must be grown without synthetic chemicals, sewage sludge fertilizers and petroleum based fertilizers. When it comes to animals or livestock, they should be raised under the environment where they can roam in the outdoors, they should not be given growth hormones and other chemicals including antibiotics. With all these guidelines, not all organic food can be considered 100 percent organic. USDA labels food 100 percent organic if the food follows the guidelines and has only organic ingredients. 95 percent organic foods, which can still have the USDA logo for organic foods, has organic ingredients and other approved ingredients. Made with organic ingredients means it has 70 percent organic ingredients.