When you see food labeled 'USDA Organic', you might picture rows of colorful pesticide-free crops, with bees buzzing and birds chirping around an idillic plot of pure land.
But the food we buy labeled USDA Organic is not always as pure as we imagine.
According to USDA standards, food can be labeled oraganic even if the grower uses pesticides that, although made from organic substances, may still be as harmful to the environment as synthetic pesticides. A food can be labeled 'USDA Organic' even if it contains toxic additives that don't need to be shown on ingredients labels.
USDA Organic doesn't mean natural, nutritious, or in harmony with the environment. Consumers should be able to trust food labels administered by the government, and know exactly what they are buying. Tell the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to adhere to stricter standards when labeling food 'USDA Organic'.
Dear Secretary Vilsack,
According to USDA standards, food can be labeled oraganic even if it uses pesticides that, although made from organic substances, may still be as harmful to the environment as synthetic pesticides. A food can be labeled 'USDA Organic' even if it contains toxic additives
that don't need to be shown on ingredients labels.
The 'USDA' Organic label denotes food that is free from toxic ingredients and grown in harmony with nature. Consumers should be able to trust the USDA Organic label as signaling fulfillment of the purest and most natural growing processes.
[your comments]
I urge you to reconsider the standards for the USDA Organic label and raise the criteria for what the American government calls organic.
