Doesn't it make you crazy with all of the different claims made on foods at the grocery store?! "Natural", "Made with Organic Ingredients", 100% Certified Organic"... what do they all mean? Here is the labeling lingo and what it means:
USDA Organic - If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards and that at least 95 percent of the food's ingredients are organically produced. Products that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry this seal. Growers and handlers of organic produce are certified and tested on a regular basis to ensure they follow these strict standards.
Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can't be used on these packages. Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients can't use the organic seal or the word "organic" on their product label. They can include the organic items in their ingredient list, however.
All-Natural - This is the most meaningless and confusing label of them all. There are no regulations regarding foods labeled as "all-natural" except for meat and poultry, so basically a company can put that on most anything. Though you would think that something labeled "all-natural" would indeed contain ingredients that are in fact natural, many contain processed and chemically created ingredients. For example, I found High Fructose Corn Syrup which is derived chemically from corn starch in some "All-Natural" products, and HFCS is definitely something to avoid. Even "all-natural" meats and poultry can contain hormones and antibiotics!! The USDA requires "natural" meat and poultry to be free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and ingredients, but it does not regulate how the sources of those foods were raised.
Unless you see the USDA label, your best bet is to read the entire package and ingredient list to see what is in it!
Gaia's Greens fruits and vegetables are 100% Organic and do carry the USDA Organic label. Almost all of our add-on products carry the USDA Organic certification as well.
All-Natural - This is the most meaningless and confusing label of them all. There are no regulations regarding foods labeled as "all-natural" except for meat and poultry, so basically a company can put that on most anything. Though you would think that something labeled "all-natural" would indeed contain ingredients that are in fact natural, many contain processed and chemically created ingredients. For example, I found High Fructose Corn Syrup which is derived chemically from corn starch in some "All-Natural" products, and HFCS is definitely something to avoid. Even "all-natural" meats and poultry can contain hormones and antibiotics!! The USDA requires "natural" meat and poultry to be free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and ingredients, but it does not regulate how the sources of those foods were raised.
Unless you see the USDA label, your best bet is to read the entire package and ingredient list to see what is in it!
Gaia's Greens fruits and vegetables are 100% Organic and do carry the USDA Organic label. Almost all of our add-on products carry the USDA Organic certification as well.
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