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Re-activateWhen you buy foods with the organic label, odds are you're picturing cows munching grass in a pasture and chickens pecking around in the dirt. But that might not be the case. Reports indicate that large organic-food producers have exploited loopholes in the rules, so you might not always be getting what you think you paid for.
There has always been a requirement that meat labeled organic must come from animals with outdoor access and livestock with access to pasture. But without specific standards, some firms were raising cows without pasture.
That's about to change. After years of public outrage and complaints (including tireless campaigning by the advocates at Consumers Union, the Department of Agriculture has strengthened the rules for producers of organic milk, beef, and lamb.
The new standards will require that all organic animals have year-round access to the outdoors. And ruminant animals, such as cows and lambs, will be required to graze on pasture during the entire grazing season (which will vary depending on region but cannot be less than 120 days) and get at least 30 percent of their dry nutrition from the pasture while they are grazing.
Finally, beef and lamb must come from animals that were not confined during the finishing period (when animals are usually fattened on grain). Organic producers will be required to be in compliance with the new rules by July 2011. We are asking the USDA to clarify the meaning of this for egg-laying hens and will keep you posted.
—Urvashi Rangan, Technical Policy Director, Consumers Union
Read more about food labeling and organic foods on GreenerChoices.org.
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