ORGANIC FOODS

L/O/G/O
Are natural and organic foods the
same?

No, although organic foods are natural

by definition, The term "natural" applies
broadly to foods that are minimally
synthetically processed and free of
synthetic preservatives,artificial
sweeteners, colors, flavors and other
artificial additives , growth hormones,
antibiotics, hydrogenated oils,
stiabilizers and emulsifiers.
What is organic
food???
An organic food is that which is
raised,grown,stored and processed without
the use of synthetically produced
chemicals or fertilisers, herbicides,
insecticides, fungicides, or any other
pesticides, and growth harmones as growth
regulators. By organic farming organic food
is produced.

Animals that produce organic meat,

poultry, eggs and dairy products are not
given antibiotics or growth hormones
“Consuming food grown using organic
production methods can virtually
eliminate exposures to a dangerous
class of insecticides known to disrupt
neurological development in infants
and children”.
 Organic products Conventional product
Residue content
No residue
5%
8%

Trace
Trace 18%
30%

No residue Residue
65% content
74%

Comparison between organic and

conventional fruits and vegetables

ref . sustainability and quality of organic

foods
Organically raised foods has typically
higher levels of health promoting
phytonutrients,vitamins,minerals and
lower levels of insecticide residue.
It also found to contain essential fatty
acids(Omega 3 and Omega 6)

OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS:

• Antioxidant activity
• Anticancer potential
Personal health
• No pesticide residues
• Provides protective effect against
organophosporous pesticides
• Prevents the risk of prostate cancer
• Mothers consuming organic foods
increases rumenuic acid in their breast milk
• Organic foods posses health promoting
antioxidants
Other advantages:
• Bio-diversity
• Soil quality
• Feeding the world
Organic food sales in US in
millions of dollars

Dairy

Breads/Grains

Beverages

Fruits and Veg-

etables

Snack food

Packaged foods

Sauces/Condiments

Meat/fish/Poultry

IFTS latest scientific status summary

ORGANIC FARM:
 3 yrs no application of prohibited
materials prior the first harvest of
organic crops
 No use of genitically engineered
organisms, sewage sludge or
irradiation
 The use of raw manure and compost
must follow careful guidelines to
safegaurd human health and the
environment
 No field burning
LIVESTOCK STANDARDS
To be labelled as organic, they
should meet the following criteria:
 Born and raised on certified organic
pasture
 Never receive antibiotics
 Never receive growth-promoting
hormones
 Are fed only certified organic grains
(corn) and grasses
 Must have unrestricted outdoor access
 Dairy animals must be managed
PROCESSING
 May use mechanical or biological
processing methods
 No contamination of organic products
during storage or processing
 No use of GMO, irradiation,artificial
dyes, preservatives
 Must prevent the organic packaging
from contamination
 Must identify the name of the
certification agency on the product’s
information panel
Conventional processing vs organic
foods processing
• Fewer additives
• No artificial
sweeteners,pesticides,stabilisers
• No flavour enhancers
• No colourings
• No traces of pesticides
LABELLING
General Principle:
Labelling should convey clear
and accurate information on the
organic status of the product.
 STANDARDS
National programme for organic
production(NPOP)

• Added water and salt shall not be

included in the percentage calculations of
organic ingredients.
• All raw materials of a multi-
ingredient product shall be listed on
the product label in order of their weight
percentage. It shall be apparent which
raw materials are of organic certified
• If herbs and/or spices constitute less
than 2% of the total weight of the
product, they may be listed as "spices "
or "herbs " without stating the
percentage.
• Organic products shall not be labelled
as GE (genetic engineering) or
GM(genetic modification) free in
order to avoid potentially misleading
claims about the end product. Any
reference to genetic engineering on
• Products must not sold to be “organic”
if they posses the residue of
prohibited substances exceeding 5%
of the EPA tolerance for that
substance on that crop or the food
product
CATEGORIES
Foods that are organically grown
can state that fact on the label. This
makes shopping easier for those of us who
want to buy organic foods.
1."100% Organic“-Foods that are labelled
as 100% Organic must contain all
organically grown ingredients except for
added water and salt.
2."Organic“-Foods that are labelled as
Organic need to contain at least 95%
organic ingredients, except for added
water and salt, and they must not contain
sulphites added as a preservative.
3."Made with Organic Ingredients“-
Product labels that claim Made with
Organic Ingredients need to contain at
least 70% organic ingredients, except
for added water and salt. They must
not contain added sulphites, and up to
30% of the ingredients may be non-
organically produced.
4.”Contains Organic Ingredients”-
Food products made with less than
70% organic ingredients may state
which ingredients are organic, but
Indian Organic Foods Market

• The Karnataka state Government has launched an

organic farming scheme named ‘Amrut Bhoomi’
worth INR 200 crores, which is likely to benefit
around 5.28 lakh farmers and is expected to be
implemented in an area of 4 lakh hectares. There is a
“Karnataka State Policy on Organic Farming” under
the Commisionerate of Agriculture, Karnataka for
promotion of organic farming.
• The Government of Sikkim took a decision to adopt
organic system of farming in the entire state and
probably the first state in India to bring resolution in
the State Assembly. The state has taken a lead to
convert the entire state into Organic by 2015.
• Bihar has recently started a certification standard
whereby products adhering to the state organic
standard levels of farming and processing will be
Status of organic farming in India
References
• http://www.healthline.com/health-news/organic-foods-healthier-than-
nonorganic-071414
• http://www.english.umd.edu/interpolations/1793
• http://www.tporganics.eu/upload/TPOrganics_VisionResearchAgend
a.pdf
• http://www.ehow.com/info_8137609_research-paper-topics-organic-
food.html
• http://www.nofatet.org
• http://www.ifst.org
• http://www.fao.org
• http://www.envirolink.org
• Hole, D.G., A.J. Perkins, J.D. Wilson, I.H. Alexander, P.V.
Grice and A.D. Evans. “Does Organic Farming Benefit
Biodiversity?” Biological Conservation 112 (2005): 113-130.
ScienceDirect. U. of Maryland McKeldin Library, College
Park, MD. 6 Apr. 2009
• Koch, Kathy. "Food Safety Battle: Organic Vs. Biotech." CQ
Researcher 8.33 (1998): 761-784. CQ Researcher Online.
CQ Press. U. of Maryland McKeldin Library, College Park,
MD.14 Apr. 2009
• Srilakshmi.B.2003; food science, 3rd edition, willey eastern
limited madras
• Organic food--eat the emotion, but question the evidence.