USDA Unveils Organic Food Standards
Developed under terms of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, and nearly eight years in gestation, the USDA's proposed National Organic Standards (NOS) will create a nationwide definition of organic foods. The standards, in turn, will help establish a national system for organic certification, and prescribe informational product labeling that will let consumers know exactly what's in "certified organic" food and how it was grown or processed.
Reaction to the recommended standards is mixed. Most organic food manufacturers welcome NOS, believing such standards will lead to wider acceptance of organic foods by mainstream consumers. "As a major organic food manufacturer, we are looking forward to the day when the industry will finally have consistent rules for organic foods production," said Eugene Kahn, founder, CEO and president of Cascadian Farm, one of America's leading manufacturers of packaged organic products.
The Grocery Manufacturers of America are also in favor of the standards. Stephen Ziller of GMA issued the following statement: "From Maine to Miami and Seattle to San Diego, consumers are entitled to uniformity regarding the term 'organic' in food labeling, marketing and production. That's why the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new, nationally uniform rules on 'organic foods' are a great service to America's consumers and the food producing industry.
But there are those less enthusiastic. Katherine DiMatteo, Executive Director of The Organic Trade Association (OTA) for one, is worried the standards won't be strict enough. "We've been very supportive and involved in the development of federal organic regulations that meet our industry's high standards for organic. However, we are very disappointed that the Preamble to the Standards contains questions relating to the potential inclusion of genetically modified organisms, food irradiation, the use of antibiotics in livestock and dairy production and the use of sewage sludge. These practices have never been a part of organic agriculture and we will fight to keep them out of the final regulations."
USDA recommendations are only the first step in a long process. This will be followed by at least a 90-day public comment period, after which the USDA will review all recommendations and make appropriate revisions before releasing the final rules.
Once the national standards are in effect, all agricultural products will be labeled to indicate that they have been processed in accordance with the law and that a USDA-approved certifier has verified that the product meets or exceeds the defined standards of organic.
In a pre-announcement news article, the New York Times noted that organic or "natural" foods have become an important part of the U.S. food basket. Sales have grown recently at double-digit rates, reaching $3.5 billion in 1996. The Times article also noted that a Consumer Reports study being released today had found that, indeed, organic fruits and vegetables have fewer residues from pesticides than nonorganic produce. Consumer Reports also found that organic produce costs 57 percent more than the conventional produce.
How Food Processors Might Be Affected
The bulk of the National Organic Standards appears to address produce—fruits and vegetables and other products direct from the farm. But certain aspects of it will also impact food processors. One of the subsections (§205.26) lists "allowed" food additives:
- Agar-agar
- Alginates
- Alginic Acid
- Aluminum-free baking powder
- Ammonium bicarbonate
- Ammonium carbonate
- Ascorbic acid
- Beeswax
- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium chloride
- Calcium citrate
- Calcium sulfate
- Calcium hydroxide
- Calcium phosphates (mono, di and tribasic)
- Candelilla wax
- Carbon dioxide
- Carnauba wax
- Carrageenan
- Chymosin
- Citric acid
- Colors, non-synthetic
- Cultures, dairy, non-synthetic
- Dipotassium phosphate
- Enzymes, non-synthetic
- Glycerin
- Gums
- Lactic acid
- Lecithin, unbleached or bleached
- Magnesium chloride
- Magnesium carbonate
- Magnesium stearate
- Magnesium sulfate
- Mono and diglycerides
- Natural flavoring agents, non-synthetic
- Nutrient supplements
- Pectin, low-methoxy and native (high-methoxy)
- Potassium acid tartrate
- Potassium carbonate
- Potassium chloride
- Potassium citrate
- Potassium phosphate
- Silicon dioxide
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Sodium carbonate
- Sodium citrate
- Sodium phosphates (mono, di and tribasic)
- Sulfur dioxide (not to exceed 100 ppm when used
in wine)
- Tartaric acid
- Tocopherols
- Whey and its fractions
- Wood rosin
- Xanthan gum
- Yeast autolysate, non-synthetic
- Yeast, bakers, non-synthetic
- Yeast, brewers, non-synthetic
- Yeast, nutritional, non-synthetic
- Yeast, smoked, non-synthetic
More details are available at a USDA site for the National Organic Program: www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
GMA represents the largest volume (90 percent) of all food and consumer packaged goods sold in the U.S. and is the industry voice on public policy and industry productivity issues.
The Organic Trade Association is the business association representing the organic industry in the United States and Canada. Its over 600 members include growers, processors, shippers, retailers, certification organizations and others involved in the business of producing and selling certified organic products.
By Pam Ahlberg