If it isn't 100% organic, it's probably not organic.

With recent developments to my health, I have had to take a step back and re-evaluate my eating habits. I am allergic to shellfish, eggs and dairy (not lactose intolerance ...allergy. Like hives, itching, swollen throat and adult acne.) On top of having to cut Gluten out of my diet because the autoimmune disorder I have will attack any Gluten compound and trigger a bunch of unpleasant responses in my body. I understand that I have a high number of things wrong that require me to be careful about food, but the information I am about to discuss may actually effect more than just people with autoimmunity.

I started my search simply enough.

How is the term Organic defined.

The link on that page for NOP regulations did not lead to anywhere which I found odd for a government website. Surely a lot of people visit this page in search of answers (I hope) but I digress.... Seeing as how it didn't lead anywhere I backtracked and just did a regular google search and came across the ASDA's organic regulations.

Organic Regulations as deined by the ASDA

After thumbing through the legal jargon for a few hours, I can only come to the conclusion that a label claiming to be organic may still be riddled with chemicals. I am sure this is no news to any of the normal ATS crew, just something I found interesting. There is literally no way to regulate the use of the term Organic unless a product claims to be 100% organic.

So my question for the wonderful people of this site is this; do you think it is feasible to petition the way food is made or would that be a lost cause since we are so far down the rabbit hole already? Also, if you are from another country I would be interested in hearing your opinions on this matter as well as the regulations for your own country.

a reply to: SomeDumbBroad
Firstly one must understand what organic is. Dictionary definition is "Chemical elements derived from animal and plant matter". So you have "chemicals" already to list. Now what suppliers call those "chemicals"? That's the burning question.
Now to answer your post, I pressume you are in the UK as your quoting Asdas regs.
Now let me make this perfectly clear (as I've done a few times before), there is no such thing as 100% organic food stuff. Probably a couple of hundred years ago, but not now. Let me give you a prime example, please bear with me.
When Chenobyl popped the fallout travelled as far as Wales leading to the supposed contamination of Welsh lamb. This happened as we were told not to buy Welsh lamb for a couple of years. Now here is the kicker. For the fallout to reach Wales it had to fly over England so do you think the fallout said "we wont fall on England, we'll carry on to Wales"?
Now you have the same with "organic" food. Do you think the farmer spraying his crops with nasty chemicals next to an "organic" farm can stop any over spray?
If you've ever been in the countryside it smackes you in the face when you see the roadside grass verges with the same plants growing as in the nearby field. Now that's seed travel so imagine the distance chemical spray can travel.

a reply to: crayzeed

Organic farmers use pesticides.

There's no such thing as a farmer who doesn't.

The pesticides they used are derived from natural ingredient. Unfortunately for the gullible, essential oil, man bun hippy, those pesticides are more toxic than the synthetic stuff used on "normal" crops.

a reply to: projectvxn
Probably in the US but in the UK there are quite a number of "organic" farms that use nothing on their crops. And in consequence charge very high prices for their "organic" product.

a reply to: crayzeed

I don't know the regulations for UK organic farming. But it sounds like just as much of a scam there as it is here.

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: crayzeed

Organic farmers use pesticides.

There's no such thing as a farmer who doesn't.

The pesticides they used are derived from natural ingredient. Unfortunately for the gullible, essential oil, man bun hippy, those pesticides are more toxic than the synthetic stuff used on "normal" crops.

If a product is labled as organic the manufacturing process can not include pesticides.

Source

a reply to: angryhulk
Yes they do

a reply to: projectvxn

Organic farmers use pesticides. There's no such thing as a farmer who doesn't. The pesticides they used are derived from natural ingredient. Unfortunately for the gullible, essential oil, man bun hippy, those pesticides are more toxic than the synthetic stuff used on "normal" crops.

That's absolutely not true! I know organic farmers in the Midwest, in Washington State, and in California. I have worked on an organic farm. The farmers I know use absolutely no pesticides or herbicides, from synthetic or, as you claim, 'natural ingredients'.
One of the biggest organic growers I know uses predatory insects like praying mantis, soldier bugs, and ladybugs. They also use toads and other critters. Bats patrol the crops at night as well. These farmers even sell praying mantis eggs for pest control.

a reply to: ColeYounger

The vast majority of organic farming isn't done at family farms.

Every single food you mentioned: shellfish, dairy, eggs, and gluten, is organic. Nothing you've said so far would indicate that it is the use of non-organic substances to grow or produce this stuff that is the cause of your allergies. It is the foods themselves. My wife is deathly allergic to shrimp, for example. It's the shrimp protein itself that causes her to stop breathing--even if it's just residue on the grill. So I don't see the connection with organic foods here. You need to avoid those foods, whether they were grown in an officially "organic" manner or not.

originally posted by: SomeDumbBroad
With recent developments to my health, I have had to take a step back and re-evaluate my eating habits. I am allergic to shellfish, eggs and dairy (not lactose intolerance ...allergy. Like hives, itching, swollen throat and adult acne.) On top of having to cut Gluten out of my diet because the autoimmune disorder I have will attack any Gluten compound and trigger a bunch of unpleasant responses in my body. I understand that I have a high number of things wrong that require me to be careful about food, but the information I am about to discuss may actually effect more than just people with autoimmunity.

I started my search simply enough.

How is the term Organic defined.

The link on that page for NOP regulations did not lead to anywhere which I found odd for a government website. Surely a lot of people visit this page in search of answers (I hope) but I digress.... Seeing as how it didn't lead anywhere I backtracked and just did a regular google search and came across the ASDA's organic regulations.

Organic Regulations as deined by the ASDA

After thumbing through the legal jargon for a few hours, I can only come to the conclusion that a label claiming to be organic may still be riddled with chemicals. I am sure this is no news to any of the normal ATS crew, just something I found interesting. There is literally no way to regulate the use of the term Organic unless a product claims to be 100% organic.

So my question for the wonderful people of this site is this; do you think it is feasible to petition the way food is made or would that be a lost cause since we are so far down the rabbit hole already? Also, if you are from another country I would be interested in hearing your opinions on this matter as well as the regulations for your own country.

The labelling process is pretty straight forward. One thing is for sure if a product is 100% organic it will be labled as such. If a product is labled 'organic' is needs to be at least 95% organic and organically produced whilst also meeting NOP requirements.

I am absolutely certain, like you say, that you cannot regulate everybody all the time and there is likely a few bad eggs floating around however the governing body as far as I'm aware do a pretty good job. At least we know what we're eating (referring to the horse meat scandal, lol) because a lettuce is a lettuce.

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: angryhulk
Yes they do

I immediately dismiss your blog as a 'source'.

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: crayzeed

Organic farmers use pesticides.

There's no such thing as a farmer who doesn't.

The pesticides they used are derived from natural ingredient. Unfortunately for the gullible, essential oil, man bun hippy, those pesticides are more toxic than the synthetic stuff used on "normal" crops.

I definitely agree on the pesticides, depending on which ones. I'm more concerned with the loopholes in marketing the products.

a reply to: SomeDumbBroad

I am going to get some sheep. I had thought about trying to do a small scale organic program, but the laws are weird (U.S.)

a reply to: schuyler

The food allergies aren't recent, it's the autoimmunity that sparked it, the allergies are just a bonus.

originally posted by: crayzeed
a reply to: SomeDumbBroad

Now you have the same with "organic" food. Do you think the farmer spraying his crops with nasty chemicals next to an "organic" farm can stop any over spray?
If you've ever been in the countryside it smackes you in the face when you see the roadside grass verges with the same plants growing as in the nearby field. Now that's seed travel so imagine the distance chemical spray can travel.

It is my understanding that practically every farmer uses pesticides which really isn't my biggest issue with the entire situation. I do not stand with the people who think that the only way to go is 100% organic with everything all the time because GMOs and Pesticides are the reason we even have such an abundant food supply. If we didn't our crops would be overrun by bugs and we would struggle to provide. But not only plants but meat and meat products can be labeled as Organic without having to actually BE 100% Organic. To me, saying a product itself is organic is the same as saying it is full organic. I don't understand how you can label something as organic if only some parts of the process are.

a reply to: redhorse

The truly are. There are so many loopholes and it is completely diluted with legal jargon to the point that I wanted to give up halfway through my research.

What kind of project were you going to pursue?

If a container of water is "98% pure," it's not pure.

Same principle applies.

a reply to: angryhulk

You are welcome to dismiss it.

It's a blogger with Scientific American.

Moreover the source material she uses is of importance. But by all means avoid it at all costs to save your preconceived notions from rebuttal.

Edit:

By the way, the writer of the blog post isn't a nobody. Her name is Dr. Christie Wilcox

Dr. Christie Wilcox is a science writer, social media specialist, and post-doctoral scholar at the University of Hawaii. Here you can learn more about her dual-sided professional life, including her award-winning blogging, traditional and peer-reviewed publications and scientific research.

originally posted by: SomeDumbBroad
a reply to: schuyler

The food allergies aren't recent, it's the autoimmunity that sparked it, the allergies are just a bonus.

You still don't have a connection to organic/non-organic.