Consumer confusion prompts push for organic labelling clarity
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
by MELANIE EPP
Proposed changes to organic labelling standards in the United States reflect a growing consumer demand for a clear and standardized labelling system for all food products, says a spokesperson with the Canadian Organic Growers.
“I guess what we failed to understand was that as soon as a food label like organic becomes successful in the marketplace, you’re going to have hundreds of others jump on the bandwagon,” says Laura Telford, National Director of the Canadian Organic Growers in Ottawa.
And as consumers make their choices, keeping up can be an even bigger challenge for the farmer, she cautions. “Eventually, those choices will trickle down to the farmer, because they’re the ones who have to grow things according to whatever claim is being made,” Telford says.
With so many labels making different claims, “consumers don’t know what types of decisions to make,” she says, calling the confusion grocery store paralysis. Consumers “may have it in their head that they want to shop ethically or they want to shop for healthy foods, but these various labels don’t make it easy for them to do that.”
The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program published a draft guidance concerning “made with organic” products last week. Guidance documents are developed through public participation and once finalized will represent the program’s current thinking on the issue. The final guidance will be included in a USDA handbook that provides interpretations of organic regulatory requirements and best business practices to organic certifying agents and certified operations.
The guidance asks for input on the use of non-organic ingredients in “made with organic” specified ingredients or food groups and the use of percentage statements under the “made with organic” labelling category. The goal is to clear misconceptions and provide consistency across the organic food industry. The comment period closes March 14.
Currently, in order to bear the USDA’s certified organic label, a product must contain at least 95 per cent organically produced ingredients. Products that contain 70-94 per cent organic ingredients cannot bear the certified organic logo but can use the “made with organic” claim. The guidance says the decision to address the labelling approach was prompted by questions and concerns that were raised by consumers.
Telford says, “Their challenges were issues in interpreting.” She doesn’t see the changes as having a great impact on Canada's organic labelling system, “because we haven’t had the same problem with consumers questioning our system.”
But if there are communication problems here, she suggests the U.S. proposed changes “can only help because now we can just point to the U.S. clarity and say it’s pretty much the same here.”
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website, Canadian organic product regulations, introduced by the federal government in 2009, permit products with 95 per cent or more organic content to make the organic claim or use the Canada organic logo. Products with less than 95 per cent organic content cannot make the claim or use the logo. However, products with between 70 and 95 per cent organic content can promote the percentage of their organic content and those with less than 70 per cent organic content can include organic claims in the product's ingredient list. The regulations do not permit Canadian processors to use “made with organic” claims.
“The intent of organic,” says Telford, “is to create a better kind of food system, but then you have to try and legislate that with words.” BF