As a shopper, what does the “certified organic” label on products mean to you?

Question

You probably have seen the green and white USDA Organic symbol on foods at your grocery store. What do you expect from products that bear this label? And do you view companies that make such products differently from others?

Answer 1

I expect them to cost more money.

Answer 2

Well, I shop for organics every week at my local farmers market, and I also shop at Kroger. Certain organic foods i don't get at either are milk and sometimes eggs, and assorted baked goods. I get raw milk, but I know that no regular grocery stores or farmers markets sell this. Even organic milk is pasteurized and/or homogenized, so I expect that milk to be bad for me even though it has the organic symbol. And I know that holding the symbol does not even mean it's actually organic. I was reading an interesting article from the organic consumers associartion (OCA) saying that almonds that have the organic symbol actually have pestecides now because of the FDA. Also, Wal-Mart gets away with selling foods with the organic label even though not one product is.

Really, the organic label just means it's been certified by the USDA and nothing else. The USDA may be wrong and may be right that the product is organic. That's why the food industries bribe them into saying some products are organic so they can make more money off of their product. There are many products locally grown that are certainly organic, but they can't get the products certified because it costs a WHOLE lot of money.

Thank you for asking.

Answer 3

What I expect from the USDA certified organic label is food that is grown or cared for without the use of pesticides or artificial ingredients, antibiotics, drugs, etc... For all you people who don't know, "Organic" means that it is required to be 95% organic ingredients. Most products cannot claim 100% because we don't live in a 100% organic world. More's the pity. However, I don't care what lies the media portrays, I am a firm believer that organic food is healthier for us and the environment. I buy it whenever I can and I know the difference. Think about this: 50 dollars more for groceries now, or... how much does healthcare cost these days? Doctor visits, medications, etc... Now food isn't the only key to the lack-of-health epidemic, but it's a good start. I also do research on the major brands of organic food out there, and try to buy the products that come from smaller, family owned and operated farms. I have even visited Organic Valley's headquarters in Wisconsin. The huge corporations that are trying to jump on the bandwagon to make a quick buck before this so-called "fad" dies out make me sick. They are not committed to the idea of health, they are committed to the money which is what started this problem in the first place; companies using God-knows-what to grow it bigger, faster, brighter, just to make more money for themselves all the while with no respect for the natural way of doing things. I also think that people who see no difference in organic food besides the price should get on here when they're 60 years old and tell me how they feel. How many legal diseases are there these days? And how many medications? You want true health? Stay the heck away from the sickness industry which includes non-organic foods.

Answer 4

1. I expect these foods to be free of all chemicals and cancer causing "short cuts" that so many in big business seem to feel are fair game. Who feeds the people poison to make more money? Who does that? Evil people do that. Most do that. I expect these products to be healthy...100%. You know, why use yellow dye number whatever, if pure vegetable coloration is possible, etc.

If people ever wake up to the fact that big business is what's killing people's health, I hope there is a great condemnation and much wrath!!!


2. I view companies that make such products as opportunists. I know, first I complain about big biz, then I slam those doing it the right way. But why? LOOK HOW MUCH THEY CHARGE FOR THESE PRODUCTS!!! It's so very costly to eat organic or natural...few can afford to eat that way. Companies will give a song and dance and explain why it's so expensive...yeah right. When you do stuff in numbers, the cost comes down. Problem is, the officers of the corporation all need to drive Mercedes, etc.

Companies that make such products have no love for me, they have a love for money and found a way to make money: feed people the right way. Sure enough, no kidding, people come alive to that notion: I want to put good things in my body and not crap.

Just remember this: if you can buy cigarettes in your grocery store, what WON'T THEY SELL YOU!!

Answer 5

Today, with widespread fraud and corruption in the marketplace, businesses, and corporations, the "certified organic" label only means there is a label on the product. The consumer does not have a meaningful way to check whether the claim to being "organic" is true or false. The larger the corporation, the less credibility, in my opinion. I am a health food advocate and subscribe to alternative/natural medicine, so I do everything possible to avoid the junk food crap that is on the shelves of big box supermarkets. I have found that Wild Oats is very reliable and honest, however, Wild Oats was recently purchased by Whole Foods to form a health food monopoly, resulting in the victimized consumer not having a choice because competition has been destroyed. The U.S. government doesn't give a damn about the good health of its citizens, as federal laws re food safety and health concerns, are enacted for the benefit of the lobbyists (bribers) who requested and paid the rotten politicians to pass the laws. If you truly want organic vegetables and fruits, learn how to raise a garden of your own. The federal "gestapo" is now ordering the irradiation of much of our food supply, and then there is genetic engineering, another health hazard, and again the consumer doesn't know if your organic produce has been irradiated or not!

Answer 6

Organic products are deteremined by the type of fertilizer used to grow them. Organic products , most likley, are grown in , how should I say this, "Cow Poop" or other animal dropings.Where as non-organic products are grown using commercial fertilizers. I don't expect anything from products that bear the label because I don;t buy organic. I view the companies that grow such products are taking advantage of a growing market. Keep in mind that the recent e-coli out breaks could be linked to the recent "Organic" fad. The e-coli bacteria is in the stomachs of cows ,pigs etc and is contained in the feces of these animals. The "Poop", if you will, is then used as fertilizer so all the "Organic's" out there can feel close to nature, in every sense of the wordI might add. No I do not buy organic for that reason and of course price and besides the produce looks well unhealthy, kinda crapy.

Answer 7

When this is a plant item I view this as meaning no pesticides or chemical fertilizers have been used on this product or the soil it was grown in for at least 4 years.

If this is an animal product I view this as meaning no growth hormones, or non-organic feeds gave been given to this animal.

I realize these may not be the truth and if I really wanted to know I would go to the USDA website and check this out though it isn't that big of a deal to me.

I have spoken with some Organic farmers and for some crops they say you wouldn't want to eat it if it was organic. This was mostly due to insects. Other items take well to organic farming.

I do view organic products as being better and worth a higher price though not double or triple, which is quite often the case. I view organic meats as having a higher percentage increase in value than organic plant matter though that price would probably be an extra 50% max and plant matter and extra 20% max.

Answer 8

It means that it is grown without the use of any pestices/chemicals or GMO's (genetically modified organisms). Companies need to have certain quality standards to pass an Organic Audit & be able to put the "certified organic" label on thier products. I think it's great to see such a large boom in the organic industry. I don't view the companies as different because alot of them still produce non-organic product as well & it's all about $ & marketing, but it's nice to see all the new healthier products that are coming out.

Answer 9

As many others have stated, "certified organic" means that the product has no chemicals, additives, additional hormones, raised in a humane way, and is safe/renewable for the enviroment. This is a lot healthier for the environment, as well as our overall health.

However, with the organic trend, I do have to question about the overall QUALITY of some organic products that the FDA has suddenly put as organic. For instance, Kellog's now has "organic" rice krispies and puts on a higher price tag. There's no indications on the boxes on where the organic products were obtained, so we don't knwo if they're from local farmers or not (and chances are, it's the later). Plus, I'm also seeing that many of the fruits and vegetables, including organic, still come from a long distance away (usually CA or FL. I'm in IL). In addition, I am seeing more beauty products, such as burt's bees, being sold in drugstures such as walgreens. This is making me wonder about the overall quality of the products if the FDA is dictating exactly where and how the items are to shipped to stores. Does this make any sense?

That being said, I do like to shop at the local natural/organic food stores that do bring in products from well established, organic/natural companies, as well as local farmers. I do buy organic and use organic (or at least natural) products as I'm able because I do care about how I'm treating my body and about the environment.

Answer 10

olding the symbol does not even mean it's actually organic. I was reading an interesting article from the organic consumers associartion (OCA) saying that almonds that have the organic symbol actually have pestecides now because of the FDA. Also, Wal-Mart gets away with selling foods with the organic label even though not one product is.

Really, the organic label just means it's been certified by the USDA and nothing else. The USDA may be wrong and may be right that the product is organi

Answer 11

We have no idea where our fresh foods are truly coming from and my trust in food companies and truth in handling and packaging has diminished almost completely.

Just a stamp or symbol on a package doesn't mean that much anyway. Accept the claim "organic" has given our stores reason to charge 2 to 3 times more for products. Makes no sense why it should cost more because the expense of chemicals is no longer at issue. Plus, whomever is putting the product into the "organic" packaging is likely not being monitored to ensure what is said on the outside is exactly what's inside.

Thankyou for the question.