What is the difference between organic, natural and grass-fed?
Products labeled as “organic” must be certified by an independent agency such as California Certified Organic Farmers. The standards are very high and there is a verification program in place for all certifiers. Organic products must not only be free of synthetic chemicals, but the land, feed, and processing facility must also be organic. In the case of meats, this is a particularly difficult thing to achieve, since meat involves all of these links in the processing chain. In 2002 the U.S. Department of Agriculture established the National Organic Program which defines “organic” and provides guidelines for consumer labeling. (A product can be certified and labeled organic and not labeled with the “USDA Organic” seal.) For more information about the USDA program, go to http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/Consumerhome.html. “Natural” can mean many things. The term as used by farmers at your local farmer’s market implies that their produce or meat is grown or raised without the use of s
