Organic foods are produced and handled in certain ways, without pesticides, hormones or other artificial chemicals. Under the new guidelines, raw foods can't be labeled as organic unless they're 100 percent organic. Processed foods must contain 95 percent organic ingredients. Imported foods must meet the same standards as domestically produced foods in order to be labeled organic. Individual states may create even stricter standards.
Organic foods cost more because they cost more to produce.
They're more likely to be grown on small farms with more manual labor instead of machinery and pesticides. The expensive cost is just one reason it's important for consumers to be assured that they're really getting organically produced foods. Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say that whether you eat organic or otherwise, it's important to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. There isn't a nutritional difference between organic and ordinary produce, but some people prefer organic because they'd rather avoid the traces of chemicals used in growing foods. If you can't afford to buy organic, you can carefully wash produce and peel it before eating to reduce the amounts of chemicals you might be exposed to.