How to Read Organic Food Labels

The contents on organic food labels can be as confusing to consumers as labels on products in a chain store. An accurate reading of organic food labels is a necessity if you want to protect your family from harmful toxins and dyes. There are several pieces of information you need to look for when you read organic food labels.

Instructions

1. Examine the origins of organic food when you read labels at a local organic food store. You should investigate practices of local farms and producers to determine if the label's claim of organic preparation is accurate.

2. Convert to an organic diet completely with the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) 100-percent organic stamp. This certification by the federal government ensures that the food in question was prepared without preservatives, dyes and pesticides.

3. Educate yourself on the standards and definitions for organic food provided by your state government. Foods with the state crest on the packaging may indicate a higher standard of organic production than those that feature a stamp of approval from the federal government.

4. Avoid using the "all-natural" standard on organic food labels as a deciding factor. The USDA all-natural stamp is not enforced strongly by the federal government and only accounts for a lack of toxins in food.

5. Analyze the term organic as outlined by federal inspectors as you learn to read organic food labels. The generic stamp of organic by the USDA only indicates a minimum of 95 percent organic ingredients without indicating the contents of the other 5 percent.

6. Search for dyes indicated on organic food labels to help you choose the right foods. Organic food ingredients do not contain dyes like Yellow 40 and Red 2 which are used in commercially prepared consumables.

7. Pick through each ingredient on an organic food label to find products completely devoid of preservatives and chemicals. Long chemical names and unidentifiable items should be seen as a warning sign against purchasing a particular food.

8. Converse with experienced shoppers at your local organic grocer to learn their techniques for picking through food labels. Shoppers who have lived an organic lifestyle for years can help you break past confusing labels and select foods that are truly organic.

Tips & Warnings

• Beware of term "free-range" as you read organic food labels. Free-range standards only account for a certain amount of access to uncovered land for chickens, cows and other livestock. You should only use the free-range label as a deciding factor if a product features other indications of organic preparation.