Before you had children, you didn’t often hear the word “organic”. Growing up, your parents didn’t serve you organic food, so it wasn’t something you often thought about or considered as you reached adulthood yourself. However, now that you’ve got a family of your own, “organic” is one of those terms you’re starting to hear more and more of. From your partner, from your friends, and even from your teenage daughter, who has a newfound love for healthy eating!

As a parent, learning more about organic foods is always useful. Therefore, we thought that we would take you through what organic foods are and how you can identify them. Once you have more knowledge on this subject, it’ll be easier to make your own choices at the supermarket.

So, first of all, what are organic foods?

What are organic foods?

The word “organic” doesn’t actually refer to the characteristics of foods themselves. It is, in fact, a production term that refers to crop standards.

If a food is organic, then it hasn’t endured genetic engineering, ionising radiation, sewage sludge, etc. Instead, crop nutrients and soil fertility are managed through crop rotations, cover crops, cultivation practices, and tillage. The soil that the food grows on is also supplemented with crop and animal waste materials, while diseases, weeds, and pests that grow in the crop are controlled through biological, mechanical, and physical controls.

Now that we’ve gone through what organic foods are, let’s talk about how you can identify them.

How can I identify organic foods?

Although it should be relatively clear if a food product is organic or not, it’s common for people to still get a little confused. This is because there are a whole host of different terms that imply a product is “natural”, more healthy, or free of additives. Although it may be easier for consumers who are more educated on organic foods to decipher this, terms like “natural” and “clean” can be confusing for everybody. This is because not all natural foods are organic. So, how can we identify organic products?

You must be certified by an approved UK organic control body if your organic food contains less than 95% organic agricultural ingredients and you wish to make organic claims on the label or in the marketing.

You can only use ‘organic’ in the ingredient list on the label or accompanying documentation. You cannot include ‘organic’ in the product name or description. For example, the ingredients panel of your label may include ‘organic sugar’ in a list of other ingredients.

What are organic foods and how can I identify them?

From Unii’s Toddler Nutrition Journey, we look at turning your little one’s diet organic.