Highly Meaningful The label means that the farm where the coffee was grown qualifies as “bird friendly habitat” as defined by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The standards promote environmental sustainability of coffee farms and protect biodiversity, with a special focus on providing shelter and food for migratory birds. Coffee farms are also required to […]
Highly Meaningful The American Grassfed label is highly meaningful and verified. It means that the animals were grass-fed throughout their entire lives (after weaning), with no grain ever. The animals had continuous access to pasture and were not raised in confinement. The standards also prohibit antibiotics, growth hormones, and the intentional feeding of GMOs. Is […]
Organic Watch USDA shrinks the list of artificial materials allowed to produce organic foods The list of artificial ingredients and processing aids that are allowed in the production of food labeled “organic” just got a little shorter. On August 3, 2016, the USDA removed tetrasodium pyrophosphate, egg white lysozyme, and the chemical processing aids […]
The Issue Synthetic Nutrients in Organic Foods Organic food should contain organic ingredients, and nutrients in organic foods shouldn’t come from artificial additives. The organic law allows some exceptions to the rule that organic foods should contain only organic ingredients: some artificial ingredients are allowed if they are deemed to be essential. The organic rule currently […]
Test results and recommendations Shrimp In the US, shrimp is the single most popular seafood item. Our shrimp report discusses common practices for raising or harvesting shrimp and its impacts on public health, workers, wildlife and the environment. We also tested shrimp for bacteria, antibiotic resistance, and drug residues and share the results in our full […]
In January 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalized a new rule that requires certified organic farms to follow baseline standards for the treatment of food animals. Now the new administration at the USDA has delayed making it effective and is considering withdrawing the rule entirely. Among many new protections, the rule will […]
The seal was developed by Organic Valley for use on foods sold and marketed under the Organic Valley and Organic Prairie brands, which are certified organic and also display the USDA Organic seal. The seal conveys to consumers that the organic standards prohibit genetically modified crops and ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms. (Organic standards […]
Meaningful What this seal means: The seal means that the farm meets the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) standards, which are based on the USDA organic standards for crops and livestock. These standards promote a sustainable system of agriculture, requiring responsible soil management and prohibiting the use of synthetic fertilizers, most synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, and artificial […]
How To Tell Whether Grocery Produce Is Organic Locating the word “organic” or the USDA Organic seal on a label of packaged food is simple: The word “organic” will be printed on the front, and the green-and-white seal can be seen easily. But what about those fresh fruits and vegetables that don’t come in a […]
What does this label mean, and is it verified? Hormones can be administered to artificially increase the rate of weight gain in cows and sheep, to induce estrus (heat) in pigs, and to precipitate labor and induce milk production after cows, sheep, and pigs give birth. As with any drug, the use of added hormones […]