Organic Foods
Are you familiar with the term organic? Do you eat organic foods? Organic foods are becoming more and more popular each year in the United States. Today you can find organic foods available in most supermarkets. So what does organic mean anyway?
Organic fruits and vegetables (produce) are grown in compliance with specific legal standards that are enforced by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). In order for fresh produce to be certified organic is must not be grown with traditional farming chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. Similarly, for meat to be certified organic it must not be raised with antibiotics and growth hormones.
Organic foods became a popular alternative to non-organic foods in the 1960’s. At that time only small farms grew organic produce and it was only available at food co-ops and farmer’s markets. Today the production of organic foods and products is growing annually and organic production has become a large corporate industry.
Next time you are at the supermarket keep your eye peeled for organic foods. Are they available at your market?
