You are what you eat. Today, knowing what you are eating is an important issue for more and more consumers. The effect additives, preservatives and processing have on the long-term nutritional value of food and it's impact on one's health affect what you buy. Organic refeers to an earth-friendly method of growing and processing foods. There are three levels of organic classification to help you make informed purchase decisions.

Products labeled as:
"100% organic" - must contain only organically produced ingreddients.

"Organic " - must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients.

"Made with organic ingredients " - must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Products with less than 70% organic ingredients cannot make claims outside of the ingredient declaration area.

It's simple. Food grown and labeled organic must have all production practices from the field through the finished product inspected annually by a third party certification organization.

This certification ensures that:

1) No chemical fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides have been used on the fields and pastures for a minimum of three years.

2) The farmer and processor have annual certification inspections of their operations.

3) Detailed records of farming and processing practices have been kept to ensure compliance.

4) Only ecologically friendly methods and substances have been used to make a particular product.

Be sure to look for the certification seal on products labeled "organic" .

Thanks Sherry for suggesting this category.