Source:  MEATINGPLACE.COM, 1/18/11


USDA has issued draft guidelines for the labeling and composition of foods made with organic ingredients.

According to the guidance, products in the "made with organic (specified ingredients or food groups)" labeling category must contain at least 70 percent certified organic agricultural products.

The remaining 30 percent may include agricultural ingredients that are conventionally produced. The ingredients may not be produced using excluded methods such as those involving genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation.

However, they may be produced using synthetic substances that don’t appear on the list of substances and processing aids in Section 205.605 of the Natural Organic Program.

The correct formats for "made with organic" statements are:
• "Made with organic (specified ingredients) or (specified food groups),” provided that the statement does not list more than three organically produced ingredients or food groups.
• A claim of "100% organic" should be used only for products that qualify under Section 205.301(a). The “100% organic" claim refers to a particular labeling category within the Natural Organic Program regulations and should not be used in combination with other labeling categories.

Comments on the draft guidance may be submitted by March 14 online.

Or they may be submitted by mail to Toni Strother, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA-AMS-NOP, Room 2646-So., Ag Stop 0268, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-0268.

Written comments should be identified with the document number AMS-NOP-10-0045; NOP-10-03.
To view the Federal Notice on the draft guidance, click here.