What do the USDA Organic Labels Mean?

USDA organic symbol

In order to keep your baby completely safe, there are some things you need to know about organic food labeling.

The USDA organic food certification system is completely volutary and at expense of the producer so many small farmers or producers may choose not to participate.

Single ingredient products such as milk or eggs bear the USDA organic symbol whereas multi ingredient foods are categorized using the following system:

100% Organic

Foods with this classification are made with 100% organic ingredients and may display the USDA organic symbol. Salt and water aren’t included.

Organic

These products contain 95-99% organic ingredients by weight. The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the National Organics Program. These products might display the USDA organic seal.

Made with Organic Ingredients

Products with this label must contain 70-94% organic ingredients. These products cannot display the organic symbol but may list up to three organic ingredients on the front of the packaging.

Other

Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging.

Natural

Products with the term natural are unregulated. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be bought. Extra care just needs to be taken when deciding to buy these products because no proof of the claim is required.

Tags: organic baby, organic food, organic label, usda