“What’s ‘organic’?” I asked. She looked shocked when she heard these words, and braced herself, as if the only thing keeping her from falling off her chair was holding onto the table for dear life. But I guess she took pity on me (I was five months pregnant at the time) and she tried to maintain her composure. Patiently, she explained what “organic” meant, pointed me in the direction of the nearest natural food market, and strongly suggested that I start buying all my meat and poultry from her husband.
I was confused at first. I mean, who wouldn’t be? There’re so many different labels on foods, like, “Made with Organic Ingredients,” “Certified Organic,” “100% Organic,” “All-Natural,” “Free-Range,” and “Antibiotic-Free.” I’ve seen organic certifications by the USDA and by Quality Assurance International (QAI). And I’ve read about “meeting standards in accordance with the California Organic Foods Act of 1990.”
When I began buying organic produce, the only place where I could find the stuff was a specialty natural food market called Perelandra in Brooklyn Heights. Then, green markets started popping up all over the five boroughs of New York City. I equated fresh produce with organic produce, and I made sure that I carried an empty knapsack with me on the days that a green market was open near my office or home. Within the last year or so, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have changed the grocery landscape in my neighborhood, offering the specialty shops stiff competition, with lower pricing supported by a larger volume of organic products. And now organic products are being peddled by chain grocery stores across the country, like the Nature’s Promise line of organic food by Stop & Shop!
I am not an expert but I have learned a few things. The USDA will allow a food to be “Certified Organic” if 95 percent of all ingredients are organic, which is better than the label “Made with Organic Ingredients” (which means only 70 percent of all ingredients are organic). If you want 100 percent organic, then only buy foods and products with a “100% Organic” label—but your selections are limited. “All-Natural” is meaningless, as is “Free-Range” if they are the only labels on your desired item. The regulations for such labels seem to be fast and loose. And the focus of green markets is not supplying organic food to the masses, but making fresh and locally farmed produce more readily available.
