According to the FDA Web site, "foods labeled organic must be certified under the National Organic Program (NOP) which took affect on October 21, 2002. They must be grown and processed using organic farming methods..." "Crops must be grown without synthetic pesticides, bio engineered genes (GMOs), petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers." (Yes they do use sewage sludge for fertilizer on non-organic farms.) Organic livestock must have access to the outdoors and be given no antibiotics or growth hormones (italics mine: Access is an important part of this definition. Access to the outdoors does not mean the animals are outdoors.) Organic foods may not be irradiated.
Some additional information about USDA certified organic foods from the FDA web site.
All organic production and handling operations must be certified by third-party organizations that have been accredited by the USDA. The labeling requirements are as follows:
· Products labeled "100 percent organic" must contain only organically produced materials.
· Products labeled "organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. Products labeled 100% organic or organic may (but are not required to) display the USDA Organic seal.
· Products that contain between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients
may use the phrase "made with organic ingredients" on the label and
may list up to three of the organic ingredients (e.g., carrots) or food
groups (e.g., vegetables) on the principal display area.
· Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients may not use
the term organic other than to identify specific organic ingredients
· Producers whose gross agricultural income from organic sales is
$5,000 or less are exempt from certification. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/06p0094/06p-0094-cp00001-05-Tab-04-Food-Marketing-Institute-vol1.pdf
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