Organic Food Label Decoder

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets the guidelines for the organic label which basically comes in two flavors; 100% Organic and Organic.

The 100% Organic label means that products can only contain organically produced ingredients.

Organic means that 95% of the ingredients listed must be organically grown.

Genetically engineered hormones make cows provide more milk. They're also controversial and are suspected of being linked to cancer in humans and create health-related issues for Bossy. No wonder they've been banned in other countries. Play it safe and look for this language on milk cartons and other favorite dairy products.

The Fair Trade Certified label helps to ensure that farmers are paid fair, above market prices for their products. It also guarantees that farm workers are paid fairly for their labor. Buying Fair Trade Certified employs sustainable farming practices, which protects everyone's health and helps preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations. Look for this label on coffee, teas, chocolates, bananas, sugar, cocoa and even honey, as well as imported commodities.

The Certified Naturally Grown label is used on items produced on smaller farms that grow using USDA Certified Organic methods and sell locally; it's like USDA Certified Organic Lite. This non-profit labeling program does away with the high cost of certification and the mountains of paperwork required to track crops from seed to sale in order to be labeled USDA Certified Organic. Small-scale farmers that use this eco-friendly label do so to emphasize the natural farming methods used to grow your food.