I just read a great article about organic produce and goods in which the writer takes the time to clarify a few important facts about organic groceries that most Americans may not quite be aware of yet. 

She cites a recent study that indicated that a majority of Americans believe that organic goods are actually more non-fattening than their non-organic counterparts.  This is obviously not true- an organic fruit or vegetable ingredient will have the same amount of calories as a non-organic fruit or vegetable ingredient (or an organic meat ingredient for that matter). Unfortunately, just because the food is "healthier", it doesn't mean that the food is any less fattening. 

Along the same lines, if something is "organic", but "processed", it still might not be as healthy as most of us would like to think. As this article points out:

"organic" means a food was produced without harsh chemical fertilizers or pesticides, but it doesn't mean it's nutritious. Processed foods are just that -- processed, whether organic or not.

 

In my opinion, eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods is just as important as eating organic produce and meat. Don't let the organic label fool you into thinking you are eating something healthier than you are- organic salami is still salami. 

It's also important to know what organic labels actually men. The Mayo Clinic's website has an interesting article detailing the specifications and restrictions that food must meet before it can be labeled organic. In addition to noting the USDA "Organic Sticker" that comes on the produce, it is important to note the differences in individual labels.

 

• 100% Organic: the food is entirely organic.
• 95% Organic: the food is 95% organic.
• Made with Organic Ingredients: the food is 70% organic. 

 

The Mayo Clinic's article on Organic Labeling also details how the produce must be grown and how animals must be fed in order to be labeled as organic. The basic idea for organic produce is the elimination of chemicals on the produce in favor of natural methods. For meat to be labeled organic, the animals can't be fed anything with growth hormones and are required to have access to the outdoors. 

In March, the Food and Drug Administration sent notices to 17 Food Manufacturers to stop using unlawful labels on food that was not organic or made false claims. The list of companies cited and their offenses is definitely worth taking a look at. When you are shopping for food, it's important to take a lot of the claims of companies with a grain of salt.