residue of a synthetic pesticide appears on organic food greater than 5 percent of the
applicable European Partners for the Environment (EPE) tolerance. NOP adopted
this policy to prevent organic farmers from losing certification over incidental envi-
ronmental contamination with pesticides not actually applied on their crops.^61
Organic Certification
In 2002, when the USDA adopted the National Organic Standard that spells out
what farmers and food processors must (and must not) do to be certified ‘‘organic,’’
the organic industry already had a long history of relying on third-party certifiers to
ensure the integrity of their products and practices. Under this system, a state-run or
accredited private agency (the third party) evaluates farmers and processors to see if
they conform to the standards of the National Organic Program. Those who can then
market their products as ‘‘USDA Certified Organic’’ and display the official USDA
organic seals on their packaging.
In essence, certification is largely about integrity—assuring that the buyer is getting
what he or she is paying for. Thus, certified organic production means production by
approved organic methods, with additional pains taken to eliminate contamination
by prohibited materials and commingling with conventional products. There is a
common misconception that certified organic means ‘‘pesticide-residue-free.’’ Con-
sumers have a right to expect little or no pesticide residue on certified organic crops
because none are used in their production. However, ours is a dirty world in which
pesticides and their breakdown products are omnipresent. This is only to be expected
in a national farm system where more than 99 percent of all applied farm chemicals
miss the target organism.^62
Organic Labeling
National organic standards address the methods, practices, and substances used in
producing and handling crops, livestock, and processed agricultural products.
Although specific practices and materials used by organic operations may vary, the
standards require every aspect of organic production and handling to comply with
the provisions of the Organic Foods Production Act.
Labeling requirements under the national standards apply to raw foods, fresh
products, and processed foods that contain organic ingredients and are based on
the percentage of organic ingredients in a product. Agricultural products labeled
‘‘100 percent organic’’ must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically pro-
duced ingredients. Products labeled ‘‘organic’’ must consist of at least 95 percent
organically produced ingredients. Products labeled ‘‘made with organic ingredients’’
must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Products with less than 70
percent organic ingredients cannot use the term organic anywhere on the principal
displaypanel,buttheymayidentifythespecific ingredients that are organically
produced on the ingredients statement on the information panel. In a processed
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