How Do We Label Food? By Yael Spillinger, Kaitlin Casey, Sam Sundberg, and Sam Krause Period 6, APES, Ms. Robinson http://www.jeankindem.com/test/jeopardy/gameboard.htm

What is “Organic?” Organic production is a system that is managed in accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 Produce and other ingredients grown without the use of: Pesticides Synthetic fertilizers Sewage sludge Genetically modified organisms Ionization radiation Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones

What qualifies as organic?

BUT WHAT ARE WE REALLY BUYING?

Discussion Question When you hear the phrase “food label,” what are some of the common terms, related to environmental science, that come to mind?

Trusted Food Labels USDA Organic Food Alliance Fair Trade United States Department of Agriculture “Gold standard of organic food” To earn the label, foods must be produced without the use of: synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, sludge, irradiation, or genetically modified seeds Food Alliance Requires that certifiers assess a farm or ranch in five areas: soil and water conservation, safe and fair working conditions for employees, limiting pesticide use and toxicity with integrated pest management, animal welfare, and habitat conservation. Fair Trade Economic, social, and environmental criteria: farmers’ wages, safety of working environment, no child labor Fair Trade premiums are invested in community development, such as training and organic certification Rainforest Alliance Independent certification overseen by the Rainforest Alliance Aims to reduce water pollution and soil erosion, protect human health, conserve wildlife habitat, improve livelihoods, and reduce waste

Untrusted Food Labels Grass Fed Free Range/Free Roaming Natural Should mean that a cow ate only grass All cows eat grass when they’re young… Free Range/Free Roaming “The poultry has been allowed access to the outside” according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (Five minutes outside is considered adequate for approval) Natural Should mean something, but doesn’t always Raised Without Antibiotics Should mean no antibiotics at any stage of production

Environmentally Friendly Food Labels Without Legal Standing Cruelty Free Cage Free Environmentally Friendly Nature’s Friend No Chemicals Vegetarian Fed

Benefits of Organic No chemical pesticides and fertilizers that can harm humans No expensive spending on the chemicals Better quality of food (more nutrients) Better for the environment Pesticides have been linked to obesity and cancer *Better taste

Drawbacks of Organic More expensive production and for consumers Hard to sustain with exponentially growing population Food spoils faster Food does not look as appetizing Different shapes and colors *Better taste

Thanks For Your Attention! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIgt9JtCeQ8