THE ORGANIC JOURNEY: FROM THE FARM TO YOU

National organic standards bring assurance at every level
by Barbara Haumann

Producers, manufacturers, and distributors of organic products are gearing up to comply with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) national organic standards. This is good news for consumers, because these comprehensive guidelines apply not only to organic fruits and vegetables but also to many other organic products—from ice cream to meat and more—at every step from the farm to you.

“The organic chain of custody is a guarantee to consumers that the identity of an organic product remains intact from the farm to the consumer,” says Gene Kahn, CEO of Small Planet Foods. With national standards, you have the assurance that products labeled “organic” are what the labels claim, meeting or exceeding standards set for the whole country.

At the Farm

In order to sell products as organic, farms undergo certification by a third-party agency. Although producers who sell less than $5,000 worth annually (like some of the individual growers at your local farmers’ market) are exempt from certification, they still must comply with the provisions of the rule and document their compliance. All third-party certifying agencies, whether run by states or private concerns, have to be accredited by the USDA.
Organic farms need to prove that they have not used prohibited materials—including synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators, pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and sewage sludge—for at least three years. Florida Crystals Corporation, a grower, processor, and distributor of certified organic rice and sugar, finds that its compliance “is a simple process to control because we are the farmer. We control the whole operation, from planting and harvesting right to the retail shelf,” says Bruce Kirk, natural products director at Florida Crystals. “Nothing is genetically modified, we demand test results for any seed we get, we own the land we use, and we have total control of the inputs used.” In fact, the company exceeds national standards by setting generous buffer zones (boundaries clearly separating organic from conventional production) that are three times that required in the rules.

Those raising organic livestock go a step further, providing animals with organic feed and access to pasture. Organic livestock producers cannot use antibiotics, growth hormones, irradiation, or feed containing rendered animal byproducts. On-site inspection will occur before the first certified harvest and every year after. All organic producers, including handlers of certified organic livestock, must update their farm plans annually, documenting their farming practices.

For Organic Valley, an organic cooperative made up of 350 farmers, the national organic rule will help put to rest consumer confusion about natural versus organic meat. “It provides us with a wonderful opportunity to show the real benefits of organic,” says Theresa Marquez, Organic Valley’s marketing director. Organic Valley believes that the national organic standards will also position the organic niche as the best option for family farms throughout the nation. “Particularly in the Northeast, there are almost no alternatives to keep families in farming,” says Marquez. “To survive, the only family farmers in New England in the next decade will have to be farming organically or sustainably.”

In the Pipeline

For manufacturers, distributors, and other handlers of organic products, the final rule sets strict provisions for the receipt of organic raw materials, processing aids and ingredients, packaging materials, and labeling, as well as storage and transportation. At Stonyfield Farm, Inc., which manufactures organic refrigerated yogurts, ice cream, and frozen yogurts, this means working even more closely with its suppliers to help them understand the minute details of the new rule. It means scheduling a supplier training to go over these details, particularly concerning minor ingredients like processing aids, to ensure that all suppliers—even vendors of flavors, fruit preparations, yogurt cultures, and fudge sauce—understand what items previously allowed are no longer permissible under the national rule. “In the past, certifiers could play a more active role in letting you know what’s allowed. Now they can’t legally do that,” explains Nancy Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm’s director of natural resources.
Meanwhile, United Natural Foods, a major distributor of organic products, already works on a system of organic control points, which include careful cleaning of trucks used internally, tagging products for tracking within warehouses, and inspecting orders before they are loaded onto trucks for shipping and when delivered. “United Natural retains up-to-date and current certifications on all organic suppliers, audits and maintains their certification files on a regular basis, and is committed to the organic mission,” says Ron Lautrup, the company’s national commodities director.

Likewise, the Blooming Prairie Cooperative warehouse in Iowa, a cooperatively owned food distributor, has a system for tracking its organic products to safeguard integrity. “The new regulations are helpful because they give us clear, very specific guidelines to incorporate,” says Susan Futrell, Blooming Prairie’s director of marketing.

“The industry worked for over a decade to bring standards into a regulation that has teeth to protect us and give us integrity,” says Andrew Jacobson, president of the Natural Products Group at The Hain Celestial Group, which manufactures and markets organic grocery items. Nevertheless, organic companies like Hain are asking the USDA to take additional steps to require segregation of genetically engineered raw materials and crops to ensure that the minor ingredients used in organic products comply with the intent of the rule. “USDA really needs to look at segregation of genetically engineered raw materials and crops to ensure that organic companies can avoid inadvertent exposure to GMOs,” Jacobson adds.

Straight to You

Those delivering products to consumers must adopt practices that prevent mixing of organic with nonorganic products in any stage of their operations. Retail stores that handle organic products (but do not process them in any way) are exempt from certification. However, these retailers must prevent any contact between prohibited substances and the organic products they handle. Organic products cannot be packaged in materials, storage containers, or bins that contain synthetic fungicides, preservatives, or fumigants. Retailers also must check for valid certification documentation for all organic-related products that they receive. If there is no such documentation, stores cannot sell those products as organic.
“We believe it’s important for retailers to be prepared,” Futrell explains, noting that Blooming Prairie Cooperative Warehouse recently sponsored a “Good Organic Retailing Practices” (GORP) training. Whole Foods Market also is using the GORP program to train employees at its stores. To find stores that have been trained in good organic retail practices, look for the GORP window decal.

In addition, Whole Foods provides information on organics on its Web site and plans to post more information in its stores as October 2002 approaches. “We can reassure consumers that, with third-party certification and one rule for organic, anything that is labeled organic is certified,” says Margaret Wittenberg, Whole Foods’ vice president of governmental and public affairs. Wild Oats Markets also “is very supportive and pleased with the new national organic rule,” says Perry Odak, president and CEO. “While we are currently reviewing the rule in depth and assessing the costs and benefits of being a certified organic retailer, we intend to fully support organic, sustainable agricultural practices and products.”

What to Look For

What new labeling definitions will you want to look for starting in October, 2002? There are four categories:

• 100 percent organic
• Organic (at least 95 percent of the ingredients are organic)
• Made with organic (at least 70 percent, and up to 95 percent, of the ingredients are organically produced)
• A listing of organic ingredients on the ingredient panel for products containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients.

Under the new rules, producers can post the exact percentage. Thus, you may find products that claim, for example, to be 97 percent organic. But you won’t see the new USDA organic seal for a while yet. Companies cannot use the USDA organic seal on product packaging until October 21, 2002, and then only on products that are either 100 percent organic or organic (95 percent or more).

National organic certification and labeling are well worth exploring. After all, it’s you, the consumer, who will benefit most by knowing how much of what you eat, drink, and wear came from an organic farm.

Senior writer at the Organic Trade Association for the past two years, Barbara Haumann researches and creates fact sheets, newsletters, and press releases on organic products and processes.

To Learn More

• Organic Trade Association (OTA), www.ota.com, fax: 413-774-6432
• USDA’s National Organic Program ,www.ams.usda.gov/nop

Reprinted with permission from the September 2001 edition of Taste for Life, Nutrition Solutions You Can Trust, www.tasteforlife.com, 603-924-7271.