How to read an organic food label

North Americans are privileged to enjoy an abundant and safe food supply. It does not, however, come without a price. Scientists are concerned that modern agricultural methods and our liberal use of pesticides will eventually upset the delicate ecological balance and create major problems. We have seen indications of this in the past — for example, the decimation of bird populations that led to the banning of DDT. There are also many questions being raised about the link between pesticide use and cancer rates. Due to the increasing availability of organic foods, consumers who are concerned about chemical residues can now purchase organic alternatives. Here are some tips on how to read organic food labels.

Is it organic? In the United States it's now easy to tell — read the label, and look for the organic seal. Since October 2002, all foods that are sold as organic in the United States — wherever they're grown — have to be certified in accordance with federal standards. In Canada, the certification program is voluntary — although it's manda­tory in the province of Quebec — but standards are similar to those in the United States.

Here's what the USDA labels mean:

"100 percent organic."

• All ingredients are organic. May carry the USDA Organic seal.

"Organic."

• At least 95 percent of ingredients are organic. May carry the USDA Organic seal.

"Made with organic [ingredients]."

• If the product contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients, it can list up to three of them on the label. For example, a macaroni-and-cheese box might say it's made with organic wheat flour, cheese and milk. But it can't carry the USDA Organic seal.

"Organic [ingredients]."

• If the total is less than 70 percent, a product can't call itself organic on the front panel or carry the seal, but it can list organic ingredients on the side panel. If a cereal has organic raisins, for example, it can list that.

Since organic food is typically more expensive, it makes sense to shop selectively. One way to save money is to buy organic produce instead of nonorganic only for those foods where the nonorganic examples have been documented to have the highest pesticide residues by nonprofit research groups such as Consumers Union and the Environmen­tal Working Group. Although there is no evidence that fruits and vegetables with higher residues pose a hazard, selecting the organic versions of these is a logical place to start:

Choose these organic fruits:

• peaches, nectarines, apples, grapes, pears, cherries, raspberries and strawberries.

Choose these organic vegetables:

• green beans, spinach, peppers, celery and potatoes.

Consider organic meat:

• While most people worry about produce, animals actually accumulate more residues, especially in their fat. So you may want to buy organic hamburger, steak, pork chops and lamb.

Save with nonorganic low-residue foods:

• These include asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples and sweet peas.

Skip the organic OJ and milk:

• Surprisingly, processed foods tend to have much lower residue levels than whole fruits and vegetables. Levels in orange juice, apple juice, canned peaches, canned or frozen peas and corn are quite low. Milk tends to have few residues, too.

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