What is USDA Certified Organic Food?
The United States Dairy Association handles more than just milk and cheese. It also heads up the process of certifying crops as organic in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The act reads like any government document -- not too stimulating. What you need to know is that in order to get certified organic label, the crop must be grown according to the strict standards of the act. We're talking about shunning chemical pesticides, antibiotics, fertilizers and hormones, and embracing minimal processing that doesn't include artificial ingredients and preservatives. If you're a farmer who wants in on the organic game, you need to get an inspector to go over your farm with a fine-tooth comb. The inspector will check out your fields, test your soil, and dig into your processing standards and records. If the farm passes the test, the food it produces is stamped with a certified organic label before it goes out to market.
