Why choose organic?

Organic foods are more nutritious and are beneficial to your health than their conventionally grown counterparts. Organic foods are less contaminated with agricultural chemicals. They have fewer pesticide residues. They also have lower levels of cadmium, a toxic metal present in cigarette smoke and a known carcinogen. Organic fruits and vegetables have more antioxidants.

Here are some helpful tips when buying organic:
• Foods bearing “100% organic” labels are made with 100% organic ingredients and may display the USDA Organic seal
• “Organic” labeled products contain at least 95-99% organic ingredients (by weight). The remaining ingredients are not available organically but have been approved by the National Organic Program. These products may display the USDA Organic seal
• “Made with organic ingredients” contain 70-94% organic ingredients. These products may list up to 3 ingredients on the front of the package and can’t bear the USDA Organic seal
• Other products with less than 70% organic ingredients may only list organic ingredients on the information panel of the package. These products will not bear the USDA Organic seal.
• Keep in mind that even if a producer is certified organic, the use of the USDA Organic label is voluntary. Not everyone goes through the process of becoming certified, especially small farming operations. When shopping at a farmer’s market it is always best to ask vendors how the food was grown

Happy organic shopping!!