A very good question always arises when we talk to people, “How do I know if I am buying organic foods…”

Well, we have 5 sure tell signs that a food product is organic:

1. The Food and Drug Administration, as well as your state, set guidelines as to what ingredients make up organic products.  There should be a special certification label on all organic foods.
2. Check out the packaging… If a company is truly committed to being 100% organic, they most likelly will use recyclable packaging.
3. Try to find the point of origin of the food product you are purchasing.  If it is from a local farm or produce center, then chances are, its organic.
4. Take a closer look at the Organic label used by the United States Department of Agriculture.  Foods that have 95% organic components, have a different label then foods that are 100% organic.
5. You can always ask a store clerk or employee which products are organic.  Some grocery stores even have special organic aisles and signage posted.

As we learn more and more about the healthy affects of eating organics, the production of Organic Foods becomes more and more regulated by the government. In order to obtain “organic” status, The United States requires producers to obtain a special certification. In the past, organic foods were generally grown on small farms, and were run only by families, and offered to small stores and not widely available to most major cities. But since the 1990’s organic food production has had a tremendous growth of about 20% a year, far beyond the regular food industry.