3) To be labeled 100% organic products may only contain organic ingredients (excluding water and salt).
4) The term "certified organic" is a little tricky. In this case only 95% of the components need to be certified organic, the remaining 5% must be on the USDA approved list and not be available in a non-organic form.
5) Foods that are 100% Organic or Organic (95% organic) may display the USDA organic logo.
6) Agricultural products labeled organic, such as organic coffee, are not allowed to be treated with sewage sludge (yes conventional crops are), or ionizing radiation.
Onto Organic Coffee. Remembering back to the meaning of certified organic, organic coffee must be at least 95% organically grown ingredients.
Do you want to know why you should care if your coffee is organic?
1) Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are horrible enough, but just consider, sewage sludge!
2) Maybe it's just me, but I'm not warm and fuzzy with the idea of genetically modified food, and I drink a lot of coffee.
3) If you enjoy decaf. coffee this is where it is crucial that you only consume organic coffee. Regular coffees use nasty substances like methylene chloride and ethyl acetate to process the coffees. Organic decaf. coffee is made by using hot water, and NO chemicals. Recent studies show that drinking decaffeinated coffee leads to rheumatoid arthritis. More studies need to be carried out to compare conventional (chemical decaf.) and water processed decaf.
4) It's not just the consumer that chemicals are bad for, but think about the poor coffee farmers. Many coffee farmers in developing countries can't read very well, which may lead to improper mixing of chemicals and inadequate protective clothing.
I could go on and on about why you may want to consider to only buy organic coffee. Then there is the manufacturing of pesticides and herbicides. The environmental damage from this alone is reason enough to persuade anyone to buy organic coffee.
In conclusion, there is the purity factor. Farmers raising their coffee organically must pay extra speciall attention to their crops to ensure they are not destroyed by insects. Whether you think I'm just trying to promote my agenda, or promote your good health, please give organic coffee a try and pass the word.
