Organic Food and What Does it Really Mean?

As a mother to Finlee and Chloe, I have to be honest and say I know very little about how food can be classified as organic food and what does it really mean to be organic? So I asked the team at Whole Kids – Australia’s leading brand of organic, healthy kids snacks to not only write a guest post to educate me about organic food, but to also provide information to my readers.

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At Whole Kids, all of the ingredients we use in our healthy kids snacks are organic. We are committed to sourcing ethically because we believe in creating a healthy world for our kids.

Have you ever wondered, though, what organic really means and if it’s worth purchasing over conventional food? Here is what you need to know.

The Definition of Organic

When fruit and vegetables are labelled as organic, it means that the farmers produced them without using synthetic chemicals like pesticides, artificial fertilisers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or ionizing radiation. Therefore, produce is at its most natural form.

Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are certified when they do not take antibiotics, growth hormones, and are free range rather than caged.

How does a product become organic?

Before a product can be labelled as “organic”, the farm has to be inspected by a government-approved certifier who confirms the farmer is following all the FSANZ (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) organic standards. Farmers and operators are inspected annually in addition to random checks to assure standards are being met.

Land that will be used for organic food needs to be converted to an organic status over a 3-year process.

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Why does organic food cost more?

The cost is dependent on the individual product and the process required to make it. Sometimes it might even cost less than your big brand products which you will be quite pleasantly surprised to find when you check out the per units price.

If an organic product is more, it is because of the extra costs involved to create it.

  • What you might not know is that organic farmers don’t receive federal subsidies like conventional farmers do. The price is reflecting the cost of growing it.
  • The price of conventional food doesn’t reflect the cost of environmental clean-ups paid through tax dollars.
  • Organic farming is more labour intensive and requires expertise.
  • Organic farms are usually smaller than conventional farms, therefore they do not benefit from economies of scale.

Is it more nutritious?

There is an ongoing effort to prove through data that organic food is more nutritious. While researchers haven’t come to any concrete conclusions, it is known that your exposure to harmful substances, additives, preservatives and colourings is decreased, and food is produced in its most natural state.

Does it taste better?

Opinions around taste difference vary, but many gourmet chefs are choosing to cook with locally grown, organic produce and meat.

To learn more about the label “organic” please check out Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

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Purchasing organic baby and kids healthy snacks

At Whole Kids we have a large range of organic healthy kids snacks that you can pack in your child’s lunch, for an afternoon snack at the park or even to take on the plane for your next adventure. To view our full range head to Whole Kids.

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If you have any questions about organics, keep the conversation going and contact us at Whole Kids.

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