9781422280478

What Is Organic Food?

wastewater we flush down the toilet). Additionally, organic products do not use GMOs or ionizing radiation . Animals raised organically for food or to provide eggs, milk, or other dairy products have to live up to similar standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). They can’t be given antibiotics, which are special medicines that are used to help animals grow and prevent disease. The concern about animal antibiotics is that, over time, bacteria that resist antibiotics develop. Those bacteria can be transmitted to humans, making infections more difficult to treat. Organically raised animals also can’t be given growth hormones . They must be given food that qualifies as organic and has no animal by-products, and they must be able to access the outdoors. Cows, goats, and sheep should be allowed to graze on open land for a certain period each year, and the land should be managed without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or other nonorganic materials.

Meat labeled “organic” has to come from animals that grazed freely on land not treated with pesticides.

11