A tracktor in the middle on a farm.
What Does Organic Actually Mean When It Comes To Food?

NEWS

By ELIAS NASH
An organic sign surrounded by fruits and vegetables.
In a nutshell, "organic" refers to foods produced without synthetic measures, such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics.
A bird's eye view of an organic farm.
Organic methods also exclude genetically modified organisms (GMOs), bioengineering, and ionizing radiation (which is used to cause desired genetic mutations).
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Food manufacturers love to use it as a selling point, often implying that it denotes a healthier choice (not to mention carrying a heftier price tag).
A closeup of USDA organic sign on a food product.
However, a small number of synthetic products are permitted for use in organic farming like plastic mulch, but these exceptions are vetted for nutritional and environmental impact.