[Exploring Life] The Canadian Organic Products Regulations were first published in December of 2006. The regulations come into full force on June 20, 2009. The regulations establish a consistent and reliable set of standards that legally require organic products to meet a clear set of standards. For consumers the regulations clearly define what constitutes an organic food product.
Canada Organic Logo
The Organics Products Regulations establish minimum requirements for an organic product to be branded with the Canada Organic logo. The best product is one that carries the logo and carries the distinction of 100% organic. To display the logo a product must have a minimum organic content of 95% or greater; anything less than 95% organic content will not be permitted to display the logo. This means, however, that up to 5% of the food content can be non-organic. If the product contains 70%-95% organic content it may display the percentage of organic content on its packaging (but may not use the logo). Imported products may display the logo if they meet the 95% requirement, but must also display the original product of origin.[1]
Enforcement
Enforcement of the Organic Products Regulations are the responsibility of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The essential task of the CFIA is to ensure compliance in organic food production and distribution according to this basic principle:
Foods and other agricultural products shall refer to organic production methods only if they come from a farm system employing management practices that seek to nurture ecosystems in order to achieve sustainable productivity; and that provide weed, pest and disease control through enhancement of biodiversity, recycling of plant and animal residues, crop selection and rotation, water management, tillage and cultivation. (Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards: Canadian General Standards Board)
Essentially, the CFIA is responsible for inspecting the farm where the food has been produced. The quality of the Canada Organic logo is therefore completely dependent upon the quality of inspection.
Organic Certification and GMO
GMO (genetically modified organisms) are not permitted in a certified organic product. It is obvious that GMO should be completely banned from a certified organic product.
A GMO is “an organism that has been modified by the insertion of DNA by human intention. It is usually DNA which has been modified or ‘engineered’ to suit a particular purpose (recombinant DNA is the same thing). The DNA can be from a foreign organism, from the same organism or it may be a sequence synthesized in a laboratory.” (Lynn M. Hartweek, Ph.D., Agronomy Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, May 1997)[2]
An organic product is a natural, pure and whole product. A GMO is an unnatural, impure, and engineered product. The long-term health affects of GMO products are unknown.[3]
Natural and Pure Food Sources
A natural food is not necessarily organic, but usually indicates that the food is free from artificial additives. The term “natural” is not regulated and therefore there is no standard of enforcement. A natural food may originate from a GMO source.
Foods or ingredients of foods submitted to processes that have significantly altered their original physical, chemical or biological state should not be described as “natural”. This includes such changes as the removal of caffeine.
- A natural food or ingredient of a food is not expected to contain, or to ever have contained, an added vitamin, mineral nutrient, artificial flavouring agent or food additive.
- A natural food or ingredient of a food does not have any constituent or fraction thereof removed or significantly changed, except the removal of water.
A pure food is also not necessarily organic and is not regulated. The CFIA does recommend that:
The term “pure” should not be used on the labels of, or in connection with, an article of food that is a compound, mixture, imitation or substitute. This prohibition appeared in the Food and Drugs Act before 1952. Although no such regulation exists today, consumers still expect a food described as “pure” or “100% pure” to be uncontaminated and unadulterated, and to contain only substances or ingredients that are understood to be part of the food so described. CFIA: 4.10 Pure, 100% Pure, 100%, All
Sorting through the meaning of “natural” and “pure” is obviously immersed in confusion and misrepresentation. For the consumer a food product labeled as natural or pure should be considered meaningless.
The Need For Transparency
There is an obvious lack of transparency in the precise meaning of many food labels. Though the CFIA seems to make an effort to qualify the labels used by food manufacturers, this is of little help to consumers. How many of us have the time to examine the minutiae of government regulations that are shrouded in confused and convoluted writing? If food is a vitally important issue to all of us, and it is, then why are our education systems silent on the issue? The term “Canada Organic” does offer some hope for the future since there are clear standards that can be easily communicated to consumers. It remains to be seen, however, if the enforcement techniques lead to the creation of trust and confidence in the logo.
Footnotes
1. See Organics Products Regulations: Labeling and Advertising
2. Quote via Organic Trade Association
3. A good summary of organic vs. GMO food sources is An Alternative to Genetic Engineering in Agriculture
