Since October, 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has required specific labeling guidelines before a product can bear the "USDA Organic" seal. These are based on the USDA's recently developed national organic standards, enabling consumers to know the precise organic content of each such product.

The "USDA Organic" seal on a label helps consumers find products with a minimum of 95% certified organic ingredients. (The types of labels are shown on the right.)

Do the terms "natural" and "organic" mean the same thing?

By USDA definition, the terms "organic" and "natural" do not have the same meaning. Adjectives such as "natural," "hormone-free "free-range" though they may be used on food labels, do not mean the products have qualified as organic" by USDA standards.)

The USDA Organic Seals

100% Organic: All of the product's content is certified organic. These products may display the USDA Organic seal on the label.

Organic: A minimum of 95% of the content is certified organic, though they may contain minor ingredients (such as vitamins and minerals) that are not certified organic. These products may display the USDA Organic seal on the label.

Made with Organic Ingredients: A minimum of 70% of the content is certified organic. No more than three ingredients can be listed on the label with the phrase "Made with Organic." Products containing less than 70% organic content may only name the organic ingredients on the label.

Some other definitions:

Antibiotic Free: The USDA regards this term as “unapprovable” for use on meat products, although it can be used in the labeling of dairy products. Because its definition is not clear, the label “antibiotic free” is not meaningful, nor is it verified by anyone except the manufacturer or marketer. The meaning of the label is consistent in that it applies to dairy products but not to meat. There are no label standards; because there is no organization supporting the claim “antibiotic free”, publicly-available information about the organization and conflict of interest are not relevant questions.

Fair Trade Certified: The Oakland, CA-based non-profit certifying organization Trans Fair USA (TFUSA) defines the term “Fair Trade Certified” in this way: Coffee and tea carrying this label must be grown by small farmers who are members of cooperatives and who receive a fair minimum price for their crops.” The Fair Trade label also means that the coffee or tea buyer pays a fair price, 60% of which must be paid in advance. This label is highly meaningful, it is verified, its meaning is consistent, and the label standards are publicly available. In addition, information about the organization is publicly available, the organization is free from conflict of interest, and the label was developed with broad public and industry input.

Free Range: For poultry, the USDA defines this labeling term as birds that have had access to the outdoors for “an undetermined period each day”. For example, a door could be opened once a day for just five minutes and regardless of whether or not the birds actually went outdoors during those five minutes they would still qualify to be labeled “free range”. There is no standard definition for “free range” as applied to eggs or beef. The label is vague and is not meaningful; it is neither verified nor consistent. There are no label standards, and there is no organization about which information could be made publicly available. There is no conflict of interest because there is no organization. The label was not developed with broad public and industry input.

Fresh: The USFDA-CFSAN defines this term as any raw food which has not been heat processed, frozen, or preserved in any manner. Consumers Union addresses this term only as it applies to poultry. The USDA defines “fresh” poultry as a raw product which has not been cooled below 24ºF; this is not as clear or specific as the USFDA-CFSAN definition. The label is not meaningful because poultry can in fact freeze at a temperature of 24ºF or higher. The label is verified by USDA inspectors, but the meaning of the label is too vague to be consistent. Both the USFDA-CFSAN and the USDA label standards are publicly available, as is information about these two organizations.

Fresh frozen: The USDA-CFSAN defines this term as a food that was quickly frozen while the food was still fresh. A food is permitted be labeled “fresh frozen” if, prior to freezing, it was blanched (briefly scalded) in order to prevent potential breakdown of nutrients.

Good source of: The USFDA-CFSAN defines this term as a serving (“reference amount”) of food which contains anywhere from 10% to 19% of the Daily Value. “Good source of” can also be used on both main dishes and meals containing a food which meets this definition.

High: The USDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition defines this claim as a food containing 20% or more per serving of the Daily Value of protein, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, or potassium. Daily Value is a new dietary reference term designed to help use food label nutrition information in the planning of a healthy diet.

Hormone Free: The USDA considers this term to be “unapprovable” for use on meat products; it can, however, be used on dairy products. Although hormone usage is forbidden in the raising of poultry and hogs, it is permitted in the raising of beef. The label “hormone free” is not meaningful, and it is not verified by any official agency, government or otherwise. The meaning of the label is consistent: it does not apply to meat but it does apply to dairy products. As there are no label standards, they cannot be made publicly available. Other than the manufacturer/marketer of the product, no one stands behind the “hormone free” claim—there is therefore no organization about which information could be publicly available. For this same reason, the organization is not free from conflict of interest.

Lean and Extra Lean: The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and the U. S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) defines “lean” as a serving of meat, poultry, seafood, or game meat that contains fewer than 10 grams of fat, fewer than 4 grams of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams. The USFDA’s definition of “extra lean” is a serving of meat, poultry, seafood, or game meat containing fewer than 5 grams of fat, fewer than 2 grams of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams.

Locally Grown: One of the more easily understood terms and without USDA guidelines attached, although what defines “local” may vary from one person to another. For some it may represent a drive to a farmer’s market, for others it may be a broader geographic region. The reasons why people support locally grown products (i.e. keep money in the community, know where food comes from, support agriculture) may influence their definition.

Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) Certified Organic: Here is the USDA two-part definition of this term: 1) Animals must eat feed that is 100% organic and free from animal by-products and growth hormones; animals are required to have access to the outdoors. 2) In the food production process the following are forbidden: most petroleum-derived and synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, genetic engineering, sewage sludge, irradiation, and all antibiotics. This label is highly meaningful for food, and the label is verified by MOSA. However, the meaning of the label is not consistent because the significance of “organic” is different for food than it is for personal care products. Both the label standards and information about the organization are publicly available. The organization is free from conflict of interest and the label was developed with broad public and industry input.

Natural: The USDA’s definition of this term as it applies to meat and poultry products is twofold: 1) The products must be “minimally processed,” that is, use a process that will not basically alter the raw product. 2) The products cannot contain synthetic ingredients, chemical preservatives, artificial flavoring, or color ingredients. The label is not meaningful because it only applies to fresh meat. The label is not verified—only the manufacturing/marketing company supports the “natural” claim. The USDA label standards are publicly available, as is information about the USDA. Because it is the manufacturer or producer that makes the decision whether or not to use the term “natural,” it is therefore not free from conflict of interest. The label was not developed with broad public and industry input.

No Additives: No government or any other official definition exists for the term “no additives.” Because “no additives” could infer that a food product does not contain enhancing ingredients, the label is therefore somewhat meaningful. Other than the company that manufactures or markets the product, no one stands behind the “no additives” claim. The label’s meaning is consistent because it applies equally to any and all products that are so labeled. Because there is no official definition of the term “no additives,” there are no label standards to be made publicly available. And without an organization to support the claim, there is no information about the organization to be made publicly available, nor is conflict of interest an issue. Finally, this label was not developed with broad public and industry input.

Reduced: The USFDA-CFSAN defines “reduced” as a serving of food containing a minimum of either 25% fewer calories, 25% less fat, 25% less saturated fat, 25% less cholesterol, 25% less sodium, or 25% fewer sugars than a food serving not labeled as “reduced.”

Sustainable Agriculture: In 1990, the US government defined sustainable agriculture in Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, as “an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

USDA Organic: The USDA clearly defines this term as it applies to fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry; therefore the label is highly meaningful for food. The label is verified by accredited certifying organizations that are required to provide conflict of interest disclosures. The meaning of the USDA Organic label is not considered to be consistent because it has one meaning as applied to food, and another meaning as applied to cosmetic products. Both the USDA Organic label standards and information about funding and the board of directors are publicly available. The organization is free from conflict of interest, and the label was developed with broad public and industry input.