If you’ve ever wondered what organic really means, you’ll soon have a much better idea. Beginning June 30, 2009, when you see the new Canada Organic label, you’ll know that food product contains at least 95% organic ingredients. Multi-ingredient products that contain at least 70 per cent organic content may say they are “organic products” and declare the percentage, but cannot use the logo.
These regulations come from the Canadian food inspection agency, and have taken more than a decade to develop. In that time, meanwhile, organic food consumption has grown by a whopping 20%!
Up until now, Canada has had a patchwork of regulations, many implemented at the farm level, as growers worked to ensure better returns for more labour-intense organic farming practices. Canada has had national organic standards since 1999, but they have been voluntary and certification bodies applied the standards differently. Quebec and British Columbia have organic certification systems in place, and organic products sold within the province of origin are subject to these organic regulations and packaging. The national program will apply to products shipped between provinces and internationally.
These new mandatory federal standards will also include enforcement tools so inspectors can keep products falsely claiming to be organic off store shelves.
It’s important to note that the proposed regulations apply only to food products, animal feed and products used for crop cultivation. Other product sectors may continue to use the term organic, as long as they meet other relevant federal legislation. So keep reading labels and looking for recognized third-party certification.
We’ll do our best here at greendeal.ca to keep you up to date!
For more questions and answers on the new Organic labeling program, visit the Government of Canada Food Inspection Agency’s Q&A web page.
