What is Organic Food?
It is almost a guarantee that when you have been out grocery shopping, you have seen organic food products, and in recent years, more and more of them! This is because organic food is and organic baby food are becoming increasingly popular trends in America as people begin to take their health and wellbeing more seriously. But you may be asking yourself, what is organic food?
There is no short answer to that question, because organic food is defined by many different principles and standards. Just growing fresh veggies in your garden doesn't necessarily mean they are organic!
In order to understand what is organic food, you have to know the standards and organic food facts that make food organic:
- There are no pesticides or chemical fertilizers used during the growing process.
- Fruits and vegetables cannot be genetically modified to grow bigger or produce a larger yield.
- Foods are not processed with irradiation (a type of radiation that kills bacteria) or chemical solvents.
- Food does not contain any fillers or artificial additives.
- Animals are not given steroids or growth hormones and are fed organically grown feed.
- Livestock has access to open areas and pastures for part of the day or have continuous access to it (free range).
It's also important to realize that food is not "officially" organic unless it was grown in a certified organic establishment and is labeled as such. It is also important to know that there is a difference between "100% organic" and "organic". If a food is labeled 100% organic, all of the ingredients in the food must be organic. If a food is labeled as "organic", it means that no less than 95% of the ingredients are organic.
Eating organic foods has a wide variety of health benefits, and adding them to your diet may not only be able to help improve your health, but also to help promote healthier eating habits for you and your entire family.
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