Organic Standards: Certified Labels

In the United States, “certified organic" means agricultural products are grown and processed according to the USDA's national organic standards. It is then certified by USDA-accredited state and private certification organizations.

The process of being certified organic implies that a fixed set of standards must be met. Certifying agents then review applications for certification eligibility. Qualified inspectors conduct annual onsite inspections of organic operations, observing their production and processing practices to determine if they are in compliance with organic standards.

A "100% Organic" label may contain only organically produced ingredients. To be labeled “organic”, 95% of the ingredients must be organically grown, and the remaining 5% must come from approved non-organic ingredients. A product labeled "Made With Organic Ingredients" must contain at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the package. The remaining 30% must be composed of approved non-organic ingredients.

However, without certification, the 'organic' label does not necessarily mean anything.