The Latest Regulations on Organic Products and What Do They Mean

Organic products have become increasingly popular nowadays, with more and more people trying to take on the "healthy path" with what they consume. With that in mind, with the popularity of these products, you could expect a lot of regulations to take place as well.

The original European Regulation on Organic Farming came about in 2009, and regulations from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) came soon after. With that in mind, updates to the regulations keep occurring, and this is why people need to keep themselves updated.

What Are Organic Products?

Organic products – or USDA-certified organic foods – are products that are grown following a certain number of federal guidelines. These rules deal with soil quality, the practice of raising the animals, the fertilizers used for pest control, and so on.

An organic product, as you may have realized, can only rely on substances of natural origin in order to fully grow. The physical or mechanical work needs to be done as biologically and naturally as possible to not accelerate the growth. USDA organic CBD, for instance, could not be treated with substances to make it grow faster.

Likewise, a product may only be called organic if the soil it was grown in had no prohibited fertilizer in it (i.e., pesticides or synthetic fertilizers). Also, where meat is involved, the animals must be raised in the proper conditions that accommodate their behavior (i.e., pasture grazing).

Why New Regulations?

Over the past couple of years, rules on how organic products should be treated would help organize the market. However, this year, new regulations would be proposed as well. Their purpose is to keep competition fair for the farmers while preserving the confidence of consumers along with preventing fraud.

At the same time, these changes occur as a response to climate change. The matter has become quite pressing, with several countries making their contribution.

What Will the New Regulations Be?

Recently, new regulations came to force where organic products were involved. Starting with January 2020, companies making beverages and foods were required to check their products and therefore ensure that they fit the bill.

These regulations are applied in various areas of the world, from the United States to the European region.

As of December 2019, where organic beverages and foods are involved, companies are only allowed to use certified flavors of organic nature. The only circumstance in which non-flavors would be allowed is if you wouldn't find a commercially available organic product.

As a result, synthetic solvents would be prohibited in the process of creating organic foods. Artificial preservatives or carrier systems would also not be allowed.

That being said, here are some of the main things that would change with these new regulations:

1. Stricter Import Rules

While products could still be imported, they would go through a thorough screening at the borders. The rules for outside products would be the same as the rules for the inside. They would need to meet all of the requirements to be labelled "organic."

2. New Eligible Products

Before the new regulations, only a select few products could be labelled as organic. This mostly included foods and beverages. That being said, new products have been categorized as "organic," including:

• Essential oils that weren't made for human consumption
• Salt
• Cotton
• Natural gums
• Resins
• Wool
• Cotton
• Beeswax
• Raw hides
• Silkworm cocoons

These products would also have to meet a certain production standard in order to be labelled as "organic."

Rules Changes for Processing and Production

The latest regulations also involve the rules for processing and production. Depending on the type of product sold, this would branch out into three categories:

• For Meat Production

The most visible changes are in the conditions in which the animals are raised. No matter if the producers are raising poultry or pig meat, the animals have to be raised in outdoor areas and an appropriate layout for welfare.

As processed meat puts pressure on climate change as well, these actions are good not only for the taste of the food but also for the statute of the planet. Organic methods to raise cattle and meat animals will put less pressure on the environment, as fewer factories would be involved in their growth.

New restrictions on how these animals are fed would also be implemented. This means that the animals would have to receive food that is 100% organic. Hormones and antibiotics are also prohibited from being administered. The same thing applies to non-organic pullets.

There are some exceptions in which antibiotics may be allowed, but only with powerful restrictions and for an important specific reason. If the restrictions are broken, then the product loses its label of "organic."

• For Plant Production

Producers must be able to provide the origin for the seedlings and seeds that they use. Moreover, producers and farms need to grow legumes, as they have their own role in maintaining the fertility of the soil.

Last but not least, crops that are off grown are prohibited. This includes but is not limited to hydroponics.

Genetic plant modification is also prohibited. The plant seed needs to be planted and grown in a natural manner. This means the producer may not try to grow a cross-pollinated fruit or vegetable and sell it as organic.

• For Processing Food

In this section, flavorings are the most concerning. For a certain product to be labelled as organic, it would have to use natural flavoring exclusively. The source needs to be 95% unique, for example, "natural strawberry flavoring."

The Bottom Line

These late regulations suggest that more effort will go into ensuring that the food we consume is organic. This should not only encourage fair competition among the farmers but also be a new step towards global prosperity.

Many of these regulations are added not only as a means to improve the taste of food but also to decrease the pressure placed on climate change. The more organic the products are, the lower the strain will be.

(Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)