There is much confusion among consumers about what is the proper organic food definition. Many manufacturers do not do much to relieve this confusion, and often make it worse accidentally. The United States government is trying to do its part to streamline the process by which organic food is labeled but it is coming up on a variety of different issues that it must consider.
For many consumers, when they hear the word organic, it is really nothing like the true organic food definition. Instead, to consumers, organic is often synonymous with natural. For this reason, when manufacturers label their products as being 100 percent all natural or contains only natural ingredients, consumers become increasingly confused. They are sure that the organic food definitions must be all the same because natural must equal organic, at least in the minds of most consumers.
When something is in its natural state, however, it does not necessarily mean that it is organic. A key part of the organic food definition is that the food must be grown without the use of any chemicals. Additives such as those that make foods more resistant to bugs or increase the bounty of the foods by the use of chemicals is strictly forbidden by those manufacturers who desire to obtain the organic food label.
Until the labeling that is beginning to be required by the government gets caught up with the market, consumers will need to be avid label readers when they are out shopping. For those foods that have been deemed to be truly organic, it is best to look for the distinctive organic label. Otherwise, a consumer can often find a variety of organic foods at their local farmers markets. This is because the food is local so it is not usually necessary to preserve it for long periods of time.