No restrictions have been made on the use of truthfully labeling products with phrases such as "no drug or growth hormones used", "sustainably harvested" or "pesticide free".
July 9, 2009
Label Detective
Before you head out for an eco-shopping spree Check the labels to see what they really mean Green marketing is not always what it appears to be Be a label detective when it comes to buying green.
Cracking the Codes:
When it comes to buying green products, the market is full of handy options. The only downside to this is that the products passing themselves off as something they're not. It's important to know the facts on what it really means to be organic so you can be sure what you buy is really green.
100% Organic: Means that literally 100% of the ingredients were organically produced, not counting salt or water (if added).
Organic: Usually single ingredient foods such as fruits, veggies or dairy products conformed to USDA standards. If the product has more than one ingredient, 95-100% of the ingredients must be organic.
Made With Organic Ingredients: Food products labeled with this must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients and may display the certifier's logo, but not the USDA organic logo.
Natural: Unlike organic products there is no verification process on calling something natural. Chemically processed high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils could pop up in products labeled as natural.
