To be called Organic Food, the food has to pass a standard set by the FDA. These standards include things like - it has to be grown without the use of chemicals or the livestock must be raised without the use of growth hormones and antibiotics. The list goes on.

What are some requirements for organic food?

The government has decided to give out a standard for certified organic food, seeing how the demand for it has significantly risen. Among others, some examples of these requirements include not using pesticide, chemical additives, and chemical fertilizer.

Every part of the process has to meet stringent criteria to earn the certification, starting from when the seeds start growing to how they're handled, even until the time they reach the consumers.

Before a product can be called a certified organic food, any business directly involved in the food's production process has to be certified. This includes the seed providers, farmers, the companies that process the food, even the food retailers and restaurants.

An interesting thing to note here, is that the requirements differ by country; what may be allowed in the United States, may not necessarily be allowed in other countries.

In essence, when a food product is grown and delivered without the presence of synthetic products, chemicals, pesticides, and artificial growth hormones, during any stage of the production, the food product can safely be labeled an organic food. Imagine if sewer sludge were used as fertilizer; certainly, that would exempt the food from being called organic.

Production Participants Have Standards, Too

Every company involved in the making of organic food must pass their own meticulous standard. They must keep strict records of production and sales. They must also record every equipment type involved in production. They must also maintain a solid border between the organic production areas from the non-organic production areas.

The company fields must be kept free of pesticides and other chemical additives for a set number of years. Normally, this number if three, but it varies by country.

The land and the production facility are subject to periodic inspection to maintain the status of a certified organic food producer.

Being a certified organic food producer entails this extra mile. And this is made possible from the risen demand of organic food, and the growing awareness of healthy lifestyles.