What does ‘organic’ really mean?

Clearly, the organics industry is at a crossroads. Big food companies are trying to capture a market that has been created over the last 25 years by dedicated small farmers and producers.

Critics say the expanded national list will make it easier for big corporations to sell organic products without going to all the trouble — and expense — of finding all organic ingredients.

The Organic Trade Association insists that will not happen. The OTA’s Haumann believes the expanded list will actually increase organic production as farmers respond to the demand for organic ingredients currently not available. Haumann told me that if any of those 38 ingredients become widely available, they will go off the list.

The 'Budweiser Exception'
Those who fear the entry of big companies into the organic marketplace often point the finger at Anheuser-Busch. In September of 2006, the nation’s largest brewer introduced two organic beers, Wild Hop Lager and Stone Mill Pale Ale. Both were made with 100 percent organic barley malt, but mostly non-organic hops.

Doug Muhelman, vice president of brewing operations at Anheuser-Busch, told me the company’s organic certifier said this was allowed because hops are less than 5 percent of the ingredients by weight.

“We figured that over time as demand grew, we would encourage farmers to bring more organic hops into the market,” he said.

Cummins of the Organic Consumers Organization blasts Anheuser-Busch for not making more of an effort to find organic ingredients. “Consumers are not going to pay a premium price for a substandard organic product,” he says.

“We never intended to deceive anyone or cheapen the product,” Muhelman says. “We were naïve when we went into this.”

But Anheuser-Busch now uses 100 percent organic hops, even though that will reduce the amount of organic beer they can brew this year.

The bottom line
The new national list won’t be final until the USDA considers public comments. Most, if not all, of the 38 items are likely to remain on the list.

Where does that leave the millions of consumers who pay top dollar for the organic alternative? Shoppers need to realize there are different degrees of organic. Only those labeled “100 percent organic” are completely free of non-organic ingredients.

If you believe in organics, you have a philosophical decision to make about what you should buy. Is a product made with 95 percent organic ingredients better than one that’s non-organic?

No matter which way you come down on this issue, there must be truth in labeling. We must be able to trust that we get what we are promised.

Do consumer advocates need to be vigilant to make sure the new rules are followed and enforced. Absolutely!

More information:

• Consumer Reports: When buying organic pays (and doesn't)
• Consumer Reports: Food labels can be misleading
• USDA: Organic Standards and Labels

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