Organic Food

Latest Edit: Hector 2014-02-13 (EDT)

The term organic typically describes food that has been cultivated and/or processed without the use of chemicals of any sort including fertilizers, insecticides, artificial coloring or flavoring and additives. In relation to meat products and dairy the term organic can mean that no chemicals were added to the feed and water given to the animals.

Classification of Organic Foods

Organic foods are classified and labelled based on the percentage of organic content contained within. Following is the criteria set out by the Organic Product Regulations in Canada with respect to Organic food classification: ,

• 95% Organic Content: Only products with at least 95 per cent organic content may be labelled "organic" or bear the "organic" logo.

• These products must be certified and the name of the certification body must appear on the label.

• 70-95% Organic Content: Multi-ingredient products with 70-95 per cent organic content may have the declaration: "contains xx% organic ingredients."

• These products may not use the organic logo and/or the claim to be "organic."
• These products must be certified and the name of the certification body must appear on the label.

• Less than 70% Organic Content: Multi-ingredient products with less than 70 per cent "organic" content may only contain organic claims in the product's ingredient list.

• These products do not require certification and may not use the "organic" logo but, the organic ingredients contained within these products must be certified.

Criteria for Organic Certification

In order to be deemed an organic food the substance must:

• be produced on certified organic farms
• conform to established labeling requirements
• not use synthetic pesticides (e.g. defoliants and desiccants, fungicides, insecticides and rodenticides), wood preservatives (e.g., arsenate) or other pesticides that are not on the permitted substances list as set out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

In June 2009 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency adopted the Organic Products Regulations to comply with stricter European requirements on exported produce. The agency required organic products to be certified according to the Canadian Organic Standards, or bear the Canada Organic logo if they are going to be traded provincially or internationally.

In order to be considered organic under the Organic Products Regulations in Canada, products must be certified organic according to the Canadian Organic Standards. Organic certification must be carried out by a certifying body that is accredited by a conformity verification body recognized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Organic standards in Canada are based on seven general principles:

• Protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health.
• Maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for biological activity within the soil.
• Maintain biological diversity within the system.
• Recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the enterprise.
• Provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the behavioural needs of livestock.
• Prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing, and handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products at all stages of production
• Rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural systems.

Benefits of Organic Foods

• Decreased risk of environmental pollution by slowly degrading pesticides that can lead to food-chain bioaccumulation and persistent residues in body fat.

• Pesticides have been linked to numerous types of cancer in humans: from breast cancer (DDT) to non-Hodgkins lymphomas and soft-tissue sarcomas (phenoxy herbicides).
• The Environmental Protection Agency has identified 64 pesticides are potentially cancer-causing compounds.

• Enhanced soil fertility, which can result in an increased concentration of some minerals and phtyochemicals in organic food.
• Decreased soil deterioration via crop rotation.
• Increased farmland biodiversity.
• Reduced exposure of farm workers and livestock to potentially harmful chemical compounds.
• Organic agriculture decreases the amount of nitrogen-containing chemicals that seep into groundwater supplies.
• Nitrogen-fixing green-manure crops can make nutrients more available to subsequent crops, increase crop productivity, and conserve water resources.

• Organic fields require less irrigation under some conditions. ,

Disadvantages of Organic Foods

• Although organic farmers use naturally occurring pesticides (e.g. sulfur, copper) organic food cannot be guaranteed pesticide-free.

• There is potential for chemical cross-contamination via shipping, wind, water leaching or residual pesticides found in water or soil.

• Organic foods may be more susceptible to microbiological contamination.
• Some organic foods are more expensive than conventionally grown foods.
• Use of animal manures for fertilizer may increase the risk of food-borne illness.
• The dependence on nitrogen-fixing, green-manure crops uses large amounts of land. ,

Regulation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency governs the organic foods in Canada.

• The agency requires organic products to be certified according to the Canadian Organic Standards, or bear the Canada Organic logo if they are going to be traded provincially or internationally.
• To obtain organic certification for an agricultural product or to be able to label a product as organic, an application must be made to one of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency-accredited certification bodies within 12 months of the day on which the product is expected to be marketed.
• All products traded inter-provincially must have the name of the certifying body on their packaging.
• If products are not packaged (e.g. farmers market, farm store) the certificate from the certifying body should be displayed at the point of sale.
• Under the Canadian Organic Regime, antibiotic treatment of dairy animals is permitted in emergencies "under certain conditions."
• Use of the Canada Organic label is voluntary therefore not all products that have been certified organic bear this label.

The complete set of Canadian regulations regarding organic foods can be found at http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/ongc-cgsb/programme-program/norms-standards/internet/bio-org/principes-principles-eng.html