Navigating the National Organic Standards Board and its affect on labels

As reported by this blog, the words “organic” and “natural” have grown in remarkable consumer demand while also having vague definitions. While organic is much more defined than natural, there are still many aspects of the food label that both businesses and consumers should know about.

According to an article by the New York Times, the National Organic Standards Board, which determines what nonorganic materials can be approved for the use in organic foods, has become dominated by corporate executives.

The list of approved materials – known as the National List – has nonorganic items on it such as baking soda, that is necessary to make organic bread. But it also contains materials such as carrageenan, a seaweed-derived thickener that has a “somewhat controversial health record.” There are currently 250 nonorganic products on the list. In 2002 there were 77.

Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute, an advocacy group, claims that the board has been “neutered” by corporate members and wrote a paper called “The Organic Watergate” highlighting the National List.

“After DHA [docosahexaenoic acid algae oil, an Omega-3 fatty acid] got onto the list, we decided to go back and look at all of the ingredients on the list,” said Kastel to the Times. “The average consumer has no idea that all these additives are going into the organic products they’re buying.”

It’s clear that some products are now more organic than others.

University of Maryland Medical Center nutritionist and Baltimore Sun contributor Shanti Lewis recommends that consumers at least buy the organic versions of products that are proven to contain unhealthy pesticides when sold as conventional foods (such as apples, celery and sweet bell peppers according to the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list).

Businesses that produce organic or natural products can help enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty by using custom labels that show exactly what ingredients have been used in their products. Companies can produce these custom labels by investing in a color label printer.