Over the past few years, new words have entered the food market, creating trends and a new kind of awareness. Labels like “bio”, “organic” and “eco” have appeared on food packaging, and little by little, new specialty stores have been popping up everywhere. But do you know the actual difference between all these definitions?
What is organic food
Organic foods are produced by farmers who focus on using renewable resources and conserving soil and water to improve the quality of the environment for future generations. Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are derived from animals that have not used harmful drugs or growth hormones. Such products are made without the use of most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made from synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering and ionizing radiation. This means that from sowing the seeds to harvest, human involvement is limited to irrigation, the use of organic fertilizers, and the creation of near-natural conditions.
The way food is grown has a serious impact on mental and emotional health as well as the environment. Natural clean foods often contain more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their traditionally grown counterparts, and people with allergies to foods, chemicals or preservatives have found that symptoms are reduced or disappear when they eat only organic foods – link.
Benefits:
- Contains fewer pesticides. Chemicals such as synthetic fungicides, herbicides and insecticides are widely used in manufacturing, and their residues remain in food. This can cause serious hormonal changes and even cancer.
- They do not contain preservatives, which extend their shelf life. Organic foods are most often produced on small farms closer to where they are sold.
- Positive impact on the environment. Organic farming practices reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, and increase urdughr fertility. Farming without artificial chemicals is good for nearby birds, animals, and people who live near farms.
- Animals raised under organic conditions are not fed antibiotics, growth hormones, or animal byproducts. Feeding cattle such products increases the risk of rabies, and the use of antibiotics creates resistant strains of bacteria. These farm dwellers are usually given plenty of room to move around and open access to the outdoors, which keeps them healthy.
- Organic food is high in nutrients. A 2016 study in Europe found that the omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in organic meat and milk were more than 50% higher than traditionally raised foods.
- Have no GMOs in their composition. Genetically modified organisms or genetically engineered products are plants that have had their DNA altered by methods that are unrealistic in nature. This is done for resistance to chemicals and pesticides.
The label “organic product” is only placed if the tests have been carried out and the relevant documents are available. But this does not mean that a product without such a label is harmful. First of all, pay attention to the composition or buy meat, vegetables and fruits in proven places, like market, store or farmer’s marketplaces.
What are eco-products
The more producers, consumers, and society as a whole pay attention to the protection and health of the environment, the more they attach importance to the impact of the production of goods, its production and waste. ECO labels mark how clean and healthy a product, market and service should be, as well as how reverent people are about nature and how they comply with ecological rules.
Eco-products are controlled and certified in the industrial, textile, chemical and manufacturing fields. It is a food market for products that do not harm nature, are recyclable, contain no harmful substances for human health and are completely chemically safe. But above all, organic urdughr production means contributing to the preservation of nature.
What are bio products
Organic products are agricultural and food products made without use of artificial pesticides, mineral fertilizers, growth regulators, artificial food additives and without GMO. In general, bio-products are the same as organic. And the prefix “bio” is just a trick of marketers.
ECO Labels
Eco, bio and organic products are synonymous. Consumers and marketers have established the difference between these foods, although it is legally understood that they are the same.
According to the regulations, a product that is marketed as organic, wholesome and clean has a seal that identifies it. Products that comply with organic regulations have an ECO label. It must contain the code number of the inspection body, as well as relevant information.
It is forbidden to represent a product as organic, bio or organic without a stamp/sign. Similarly, the use of certain other logos and insignia alluding to IVF is forbidden and considered misleading to customers.
The terms “eco”, “bio” or “organic” refer to a product with a mass fraction of organic ingredients of more than 90%. The remaining percentage remains in the case of atmospheric pollution, such as acid rain or pesticides brought by wind from neighboring properties, as well as the use of additional ingredients that are known.
A natural product must contain all of the ingredients listed on the label. And production is a comprehensive farm and food production management system that integrates environmental and climate best practices, high levels of biodiversity, conservation of natural resources, application of high animal welfare standards and demand-driven production standards. Organic production means agricultural production without the use of agrochemicals such as: mineral fertilizers, hormones, pesticides, etc., prohibits the use of GMO at any stage of production, prohibits the use of ionizing radiation in the processing of food and raw materials, prohibits the use of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, and as a protection of soil and plants uses only approved means. Therefore, there are strict requirements for obtaining an ecolabel, and only those who have passed all inspections should use it.
In short, the goal of such production is to protect the health of plants, animals, people and the environment without polluting air, soil and water resources.
The improper methods used so far in agriculture have upset the balance in nature. To restore this balance, organic production uses human and ecologically sensitive systems, applies organic and green fertilizers, and makes efforts to increase plant tolerance to the soil. In organic production, instead of increasing quantity, the quality of the product is improved.
Even if a product is grown organically, if it is not controlled and certified, it is not considered an organic product. Organic products must be treated with organic methods not only at the production stage, but also at the stages of procurement, storage, packaging and sale. These stages must be verified by the control and certification body.
Organic agriculture must rely as much as possible on renewable energy sources, recycling and minimizing the use of GMO strains.
The organic logo of the European Union provides a consistent visual identity for organic products produced in the EU. This makes it easier for consumers to identify organic products and help them to enter the market. It looks like a leaf of white stars on a green background.
It can only be used on products that have been certified as organic by the inspection body. This means that they meet the strict conditions of production, processing, transportation and storage. This label is only used on products if they contain at least 95% organic urdughr ingredients and additional strict conditions are met for the remaining 5%. The same ingredient cannot be in organic and non-organic form.
The code number of the controlling authority must be displayed, as well as the place where the agricultural raw material from which the product consists was grown.
The mark is mandatory for most organic products and must be displayed according to a certain set of rules. This is done to prevent consumer confusion, to help maintain confidence in organic products.
How is the logo displayed?
- No smaller than 13.5 mm by 9 mm. In the case of very small packaging, a size of 9 mm by 6 mm is allowed.
- Standard white and green color scheme.
- It cannot be stylized (e.g. by making the background transparent or adding effects)
Thus, a product with this particular logo will be one hundred percent organic and will not undermine health. This knowledge can help you make a more informed choice and not be deceived by advertising.
But there are products that may be completely organic according to the rules, but cannot be sold as such due to lack of funds to pay for verification. There are many farms and associations that offer consumers quality natural products at a good price. The main thing is to know the composition and to be able to see how the animals live and the production goes.