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What does 'organic' really mean?

Organic fruit & veg
All fresh vegetables and fruit labelled ‘organic’ must, by law, be grown according to the following standards:

• Crops are grown without the use of artificial fertilisers or pesticides.
• Generally, the required conversion period to organic method is two years (for ground crops) or three years (for perennials).
• Appropriate crop rotation is practised for ground crops to break pest and disease cycles, and to help maintain soil fertility and structure.
• No post-harvest chemical treatments are used.
• Fertility is provided by natural organic manures, composts and fertilisers
• No use of GM seeds or other materials is permitted.

Organic food production
There are strict regulations, enshrined in law, governing all aspects of organic food production:

• All producers of organic foods must be certified by a recognised certification body and undergo a rigorous annual inspection by qualified inspectors.
• Standards cover every aspect of food production such as growing, packaging, processing and transport.
• Full audited records of every stage ensure complete traceability from farm to table.
• Each certification body has an official certification number or logo that appears on the packaging and is the consumer’s guarantee of authenticity.

Source: Organic Living by Lynda Brown (Dorling Kindersley)

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