Do you want to eat properly? Certified organic food is an excellent basis for a balanced diet. However, choosing the right product can be a challenge. From our article, you will learn how to flawlessly identify high-quality organic food from the EU on store shelves. Read on to get the facts and buy consciously!
Consumers are increasingly willing to buy organic food
Interest in organic food is experiencing a real boom. And there isnothing surprising about this - more and more people are deciding to stick to aproperly balanced diet, so they are looking for tasty and valuable products. The growing demand for food from organic farms is reflected in various statistics and market studies.
In the European Union alone, for example, the market for organic farming is already worth about 52 billion euros. [1] In the United States, meanwhile, consumers spent $57.5 billion to buy organic food in 2021. [2] Similar interest persists in Canada; this organic food market is worth about $6.5 billion, up 5.4% from 2019. [3]
If you too want to indulge in high-quality organic products, learn how to recognize them.
Not every "BIO" and " ECO" product is truly organic
Did you know that some manufacturers use marketing traps to mislead consumers? If you want to make an informed choice of organic food, look carefully at the markings that appear on labels.
Placing the words "BIO," "ECO," "health food" or "organic product" on a package does not yet mean that the product was made on a certified farm. These terms are very general, and even if a product has them, it may contain some preservatives or artificial colors.
Unfortunately, none of us is able to check on our own whether such food really has the quality declared by the manufacturer. It is also very difficult to find out what the process of its production is like.
So how not to be fooled? The safe solution is to consciously choose products that are correctly labeled.
How to recognize organic food on the store shelf?
In good stores, look for a registered trademark that guarantees high quality. This is the EU organic food certification, or green leaf logo. A manufacturer that puts such a logo on the label must meet a number of requirements set forth in European Parliament regulations. [4] The regulations cover composition, production methods and the environmental impact of farming operations. [5]
In Canada, organic food imported from the EU often carries two labels at the same time. The first is the EU green leaf logo, and the second is the Canadian organic production logo. [6] The situation is similar in the United States. According to an agreement between the US and the EU, the organic production rules and inspection systems used in both countries were considered equivalent. Therefore, imported products from the EU can carry both the USDA seal (which Americans have associated with organic food for years) and the EU green leaf logo. [7]
Why should you choose EU-certified organic food?
Organic food from the EU is free of contaminants and has a unique taste. Its high quality and full nutritional value are guaranteed by a special farm certification procedure and strict control of growers and planters. [8] These regulations result in products that:
- are rich in vitamins and antioxidants; [9]
- do not contain residues of antibiotics, hormonal drugs, pesticides or other chemicals; [10]
- Are GMO-free. [11]
The next time you're out shopping, look at the labels and choose products labeled with the registered green leaf logo. These are tasty and truly organic foods that you can incorporate into your daily diet without any worries.
Sources:
[1] Official website of FiBL (Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau), report Exceptional growth of the European organic market 2020, https://www.fibl.org/en/info-centre/news/exceptional-growth-of-the-european-organic-market-2020 (accessed 16.01.2023).
[2] Official website of Statistia, report Organic food and non-food sales in the United States from 2008 to 2021,https://www.statista.com/statistics/244394/organic-sales-in-the-united-states/(accessed 16.01.2023).
[3] Official website of Dalhouse University, report About Organicin Canada, https://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/oacc/en-home/about/organic-canada.html (accessed 16.01.2023).
[4] Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production and labeling of organic products, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/PL/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018R0848&from=GA(accessed 16.01.2023).
[5] Official website of the European Parliament, "New stricter rules on organic food in the EU," https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/pl/headlines/society/20180404STO00909/infografika-nowe-surowsze-zasady-dla-zywnosci-ekologicznej-w-ue (accessed 16.01.2023).
[6] About Canada: https://inspection.canada.ca/organic-products/equivalence-arrangements/eucoea-overview/eng/1328074578961/1328074648480
[7] Official website of the USDA, "Organic Production", https://www.usda-eu.org/trade-with-the-eu/eu-import-rules/organic-production/(accessed 16.01.2023)
[8] Official website of the European Union, Certification: conversion to an organic farm, https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/farming/organic-farming/becoming-organic-farmer_pl#certification (accessed 16.01.2023)
[9] V. Worthington, Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, No. 2(7)/2001, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. p. 167.
[10] Official website of the European Parliament, "New stricter rules on organic food in the EU," ibid.
[11] Ibid.
