Natural vs. Organic

With so much talk about eating healthier, you are bound to run into the terms "organic" and "natural" when perusing the grocery aisles.  Do you know what they mean? Is there a difference?

If you Google the terms, you are sure to find the answers but it may take you a handful of Web sites before you get a straight answer.

Here, in the most basic way I can think to write it, are the meanings of the two terms and their differences:

"Organic" means that the food was produced using little or no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones or antibiotics. This is all regulated by the USDA, which has incredibly tight restrictions and regulations.

"Natural" is a little less clear. This term is regulated by the FDA and, to date, there is no standard definition in the United States. According to the FDA, any food production company can label a product "Natural" so long as, "it is truthful and not misleading."

Ok, so what does that really mean?

A couple of things. 

First, all "Organic" foods are "Natural" but not all "Natural" foods are "Organic."

In the same way that all Catholics are Christians but not all Christians are Catholics.

I try to think of the difference like this:

"Organic" means that when the food was being grown or raised, it could not have any (or very few) fake substances - hormones, pesticides, fertilizers, or antibiotics. Furthermore, it means that once the food left the farm, nothing could be added to it to compromise the work that had been done in growing or raising it. It can't be sprayed or injected with anything to keep it from the natural process of breakdown and decay that inevitably happens to food.

That's not necessarily the case with "natural" foods. "Natural" typically means that, once the food was grown or raised, nothing is added to it. That means it could have been chock full of hormones, antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides as it was farmed.  Once it left that process, though, it was pretty much left alone.

Things you should know:

• 
  
  "100% Organic" Products are exactly that - nothing fake in there.
• 
  
  "Organic" Products must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients.The other 5% are foods that cannot be found in organic form or are found on the USDA's approved ingredient list.
• 
  
  "Made with Organic Ingredients" means that the item must contain at least 70% organically produced ingredients.

The last thing I will say is this: there is not enough research at this point to say definitively whether or not "Natural" or "Organic" foods are actually better for you than conventional foods. If you do decide to "go Organic" it should be because of personal preference - whether to make a positive impact on the environment or to make a statement.


My next blog post will include tips on how to eat Organic on a budget and what labels to look for when shopping. I hope you will find it useful!

Happy eating!