Home arrow About Organic Food

About Organic Food Print E-mail
What is “Organic” Food?
 “Organic” food now has a legal definition, defined by the Advisory Committee on Organic Standards (ACOS) and the various certification bodies (see below). However, for a general outline, organic farming is one which lets nature be its main guide, but without ignoring scientific experimentation within that framework.  Organic farmers want to hand on to future generations a healthy environment and to do this they:
  • look after the soil and its organisms by feeding them with natural  composts/manures;
  • rotate crops;
  • use renewable resources;
  • recycle;
  • promote and protect wildlife;
  • eliminate, as much as possible, the use of pesiticides and herbicides and
  • encourage genetic diversity, but with definitely no genetic modification.
They also prioritise animal welfare – all this to provide health giving produce and a vital and safe environment.

How do I know if food is organic?
ACOS is designated by the government to set minumum standards, which also meet the EU standards, for organic food to attain.  Then independent certification bodies form their individual standards, using the government’s as a minimum, and they carry out annual inspections and spot checks of organic farms/food manufacturers to ensure that these standards are being met. .  The Soil Association, for example, is one of these bodies and sets some of the highest standards.  These bodies are all given an identifying code, which must legally be on the label of certified, organic produce. This is how you know if your British food is organic and also, to what standard.

Below are the UK Certification bodies and their codes, taken from the defra website (www.defra.gov.uk):
  • Organic Farmers and Growers Ltd – UK2
  • Scottish Organic Producers Association – UK3
  • Organic Food Federation – UK4
  • Soil Association Certification Ltd – UK5
  • Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association – UK6
  • Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association – UK7
  • Organic Trust Limited – UK9
  • CM1 Certification – UK10
  • Quality Welsh Food Certification Ltd -  UK13
  • Ascisco Ltd  - UK15
A similar principle applies to EU organic food and all EU countries use the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement (IFOAM) as a framework.
For organic food to be accepted in Britain, from other countries, they must have similar certification standards, combined with checking procedures, or, failing that, importers can have particular organic products inspected and checked by an EU organic certification body.
Last Updated ( Friday, 27 January 2006 )