001255 U.S. Introduces New Organic Food Labels

Washington - American shoppers will soon find a USDA label on organic fruits, vegetables and meats produced without pesticides or hormones, the Clinton administration said as it rolled out new rules on organic food.

The organic standards had been eagerly sought by US food companies, environmentalists and some lawmakers to help guide consumers seeking alternatives to genetically modified crops and hormone-injected livestock.

“This is the strongest and most comprehensive organic standard in the world,” US Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said at a news conference held outside a natural foods grocery store in the nation's capital.

Under the new national standard, foods labeled “organic” cannot include bioengineered ingredients or be irradiated to kill bacteria and lengthen shelf life. Meats sold as organic cannot be produced from animals that receive antibiotics.

Consumers will be able to recognize organic products by a USDA mark they will carry, similar to the “USDA Prime” identification on beef or the grade labels on egg cartons.

Foods will be labeled “100% organic,” “organic” or “made with organic ingredients,” depending on ingredients.

Products labeled “organic” must consist of at least 95% organically produced ingredients. Foods “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Food manufacturers will be allowed to label their products' exact percentage of organic content, the USDA said.

“The idea here is that the ability to boast a specific number will encourage more folks to use organic ingredients,” Glickman said.

Processed products that contain less than 70% ingredients cannot use the term organic anywhere on the principal display panel, the USDA said.

The label “organic” had previously fallen under a hodgepodge of state, regional and private certifier standards, giving rise to confusion about its meaning.

Industry: Organic Does Not Mean Safer Food

The food industry praised the standard, but said consumers need to know organic does not necessarily mean safer food.

“It must be made clear that the organic label on certain foods does not mean that they are safer or more nutritious than conventional food products,” said Kelly Johnston, executive vice president for the National Food Processors Association. Glickman said the organic label was a marketing tool and was not a statement about food safety, nutrition or quality.

“USDA is not in the business of choosing sides, of stating preferences for one kind of food, one set of ingredients or one means of production over any other,” Glickman said.Many big US foodmakers have product lines catering to the growing interest in organic foods.

The US organic industry sold more than $6 billion of products, from food to clothing, in 1999. The USDA estimates organic sales will increase by another 20% this year.

Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association, said the new federal standards would help growers and retailers as well as consumers.

“I think this federal rule will help improve the market for the number of organic products available to consumers,” DiMatteo said.

The final rule becomes effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register on Thursday. USDA officials said the national organic standard will be fully implemented around August 2002.

Ten Years In The Making

Congress ordered USDA to develop uniform organic standards more than a decade ago, but the department did not swing into action until two years ago when it proposed a set of rules.

That triggered hundreds of thousands of letters, faxes and e-mails from consumers who wanted to ensure the USDA rules would not allow foods labeled as organic to be genetically modified or fertilized by sewage recycled by waste plants.

The new US organic standard is seen as setting a benchmark for the rest of the world. Australia, the European Union and the United States are the largest organic producers.

“The rule will assist organic producers who want to export their products and will ensure that imported organic agricultural commodities meet standards on par with those of the United States,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

There are currently 12,000 organic farmers in the United States and that number is rising by 12% each year, while other sectors of farming are seeing a decline in producers.

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