What is organic food?

Food labelled "organic" has been grown or raised without chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones or synthetic drugs. Synthetic means that it has been manufactured in a laboratory.

This means that farmers and ranchers who produce organic food:

• Use only natural pesticides, such as vegetable oils, soaps, fungus-eating bacteria or insects that eat other insects.
• Use only natural fertilisers, such as manure or compost.
• They feed their animals only organic feed.
• They do not give antibiotics or growth hormones to their animals.
• They do not use genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are plants or animals whose genetic material has been altered through genetic engineering.
• They do not use irradiation, which means using x-rays or other types of rays to kill pests, change the way plants grow, or prevent vegetables and fruits from spoiling at the normal rate.

In short, organic foods are very healthy because they are free of chemicals, synthetics and additives. Their consumption, for example, will help you to strengthen your immune system, improve the quality of your sleep, lose weight and even reduce the chances of developing diseases. Not forgetting that by consuming organic products you are also doing your bit to protect and care for the environment.