Organic produce is better for us and on that I think most will agree. What people differ on is whether they trust that a brand is authentically organic or just packaged with the same old pesticides but sold at the premium organic sale price. A healthy dose of skepticism is always good which is why you should always do your own research.
In Canada there are different certification bodies that assess, monitor and ensure the standards required for organic farming. Products that are traded inter-provincially or internationally are regulated by the Organic Federation of Canada. These certification bodies can give you some sense of security and comfort but if you are still skeptical you can always visit the farms if they are close enough to you. A conversation with the store/retailer will usually glean their purpose, values and integrity. Some farms have videos that show how their processes work with produce and animals.
Identifying locally grown organic products
At the time this was published , with the exception of Quebec and British Columbia provinces do not have regulations that require producers or processors of locally produced organic to have their operations certified. However, you can reach out to the province’s consumer protection bureau to confirm organic legitimacy. Also, keep in mind the certification process can be cost prohibitive for some small businesses.
The Organic Federation of Canada states the following:
It is very easy for Canadian consumers to identify organic products.
- The “organic” label must always indicate the name of the authorized certifier that inspected the products and validated their designation.
- In addition, product labels may bear the Canada Organic logo, which will be easily identified on product labels. However, the use of this logo is optional.
- Only products that contain more than 95% organic ingredients may be labelled “organic” and may bear the logo.
- If the percentage of organic ingredients is between 70% and 95%, the label will bear the words: “Made with x% organic ingredients.” It is compulsory to indicate the percentage of organic ingredients on the label if it is between 70% and 95%.
- If the product contains less than 70% organic ingredients, the word “organic” may only appear on the ingredients list, only to describe the certified organic ingredients.
- All accredited certifying bodies under the Canada Organic Regime are listed on the COO website.
- As a last resort, any consumer may ask to see the organic compliance certificate issued by the certifier who inspected the product labelled “organic.” Organic compliance certificates are absolutely essential. Products that are not backed by these certificates may not claim to be organic.
Source: Organic Federation of Canada
Organic labels
Logo: The following logo can be used to identify organic produce, however, organic produce that follow the organic Canadian standards may not always have the logo on the packaging. Also, imported products that were produced with Canadian standards may have the Canadian organic logo.
Beware of labels that tout “natural “ ingredients, this does not mean it is organic.
Should we trust organic labels? Most of us do not have the time to go the extra mile to make sure our products, especially organic products are as they say on the packages or in our produce sections; we hope and take for granted that regulations are followed and that our grocers are ethical and conduct business with integrity.