A glossary of natural food terminology

October 7, 2004

BY Adria Vasil

NOW | OCT 7 - 13, 2004 | VOL. 24 NO. 6

You'd think shopping for earth-, body-, and critter-friendly foods would

be simple - buy organic. But even conscious shoppers can be confused by

all the green labels that crowd the aisles. From cage-free and naturally

raised to sustainably harvested and pesticide-free, the options for

responsible eating are seemingly endless. Know which ones are government

regulated, which are enforced and which tags can be whipped up by anyone

with a brick of tofu and a dream.

GENERAL TERMS

NATURAL Hard to believe considering all the abuse this term has taken, but

this label is regulated. Who knew? According to the Canadian Food

Inspection Agency (CFIA), any reference to nature, Mother Nature, nature's

way or natural in relation to an entire food product should by no means be

used if any process has significantly altered any earth-given ingredient.

That means the addition of even non-synthetic ingredients like guar gum,

hydrogenated oils, vitamins or treated spring water are a no-no. How the

hell does anyone get to use this label then? Bottom line: it's not policed

unless you send in a complaint. Go to town, kids.

ORGANIC It may be organic, and then again it may not. Some small farmers

rebel against all the pricey red tape of certification and say their

standards are higher anyway. This is an easier sell to trusted customers

at, say, local farmers markets. But again, it's strictly a trust system.

Some studies in the U.S. have shown that nearly half the eggs labelled

organic without being certified are not organic at all.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC (or VERIFIED) There are hundreds of certifiers in the

U.S. and Canada, so you might find a confusing number of logos on grocery

shelves. In general, farms have to be pesticide-free for three years,

avoid synthetic inputs like pesticides and antibiotics as well as

deliberate use of GMOs, while stressing soil building. There also tend to

be basic stipulations about animal welfare, although Europe is much better

than Canada and the U.S. on this front. They're also ahead in including

fair trade and social equity clauses. Canada lacks a national organic

certification system, but after over a decade of trying, we should be

close. Our trade partners in Europe don't really respect our messy

voluntary system and are pressuring

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