Organic labeling no simple matter

When the new national organic food standards went into effect Monday, there was lots of hullabaloo about how wonderful the standards are, how they will revolutionize the industry and provide continuity and confidence for consumers. For the first time, everything from organic meat to milk will be governed by a single set of federal standards.

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, who voted for the 2002 Farm Bill, which provided funding for farmers to implement the standards, said Monday: “Under these new standards, Maine farmers will for the first time be able to sell organic produce to retailers in other states with confidence that the organic label will be accepted and recognized by consumers there. For consumers, this rule means clear and consistent labeling that will affirm the content, production process, and handling of organic food.”

But in the fields and stores, those who grow and deal with organic produce, meat and products every day are scrambling to keep up with the changes. Consumers are also confused, trying to understand the new labeling process, which now is a four-tiered system.

The new labels will say “100 percent organic,” which means exactly that; or “organic,” which means the product is 95 percent organic; “made with organic ingredients,” requiring the product to be at minimum 70 percent organic; or “some organic ingredients,” which classifies foods with less than 70 percent organic ingredients.

“This will take a lot of sorting through,” said Russell Libby, director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, which is Maine’s organic certifying agency. “These are complicated regulations.”

Eric Sideman of MOFGA said only those selling more than $5,000 worth of product must become certified, but he is recommending that all organic producers go through the process. Small producers who possibly have misused the “organic” designation now could be subject to a $10,000-a-day fine.

Small growers who stick a sign touting “organic” on their vegetables at a local farmers market must fulfill all the requirements of the new standards, even if they sell less than $5,000 and are not certified.

“A lot of growers may not intentionally be misusing the designation by putting up a sign saying they are organic,” Sideman said Wednesday, “but they may be ignorant of the new rules. Small producers now have more reasons than ever to get certified.”

Sideman said he expects to see the number of under-$5,000 producers seeking certification next spring to dramatically increase.

There are currently 248 certified organic growers and producers in Maine.

Sideman said the new rules also will help consumers. “There will now be someone looking over the shoulder of the producers,” he said. “Lots of local companies, for example those who produce flour or pancake mixes, will now be required to be certified. This includes people who buy bulk products, repackage and sell them.”

“It’s going to be really hard on retailers,” he said, which quickly was confirmed by Ron Goldstein, operations manager for the Belfast Co-op. One of the largest organic grocers in Maine, Belfast Co-op carries more than 15,000 items and specializes in organic and natural products.

“This will definitely be a time of transition,” said Goldstein. “The big effect on us has been a lot of questions, questions from customers, staff and vendors. Once the policies changed, it was an impetus for us to really take a hard look at our inventory. There is so much fine print, and as a business dedicated to supplying pure food, we must take a closer look now at what we are offering.”

Still, with all the transition worries, the new label will give Maine farmers an edge not available previously.

“With our vibrant network of organic farms and dairies, Maine is in the position to excel as a source of high-quality and high-value organic products,” Snowe said. “Using this promising new label, and certification of organic procedures and standards, Maine farmers can succeed in spreading our state’s outstanding organic products to consumers throughout the nation.”

Libby said that the lion’s share of Maine’s organic producers are direct marketers and that the national standards will not affect their marketing practices. “The exception, of course, is dairy. The national organic dairy market is really opening up,” said Libby. MOFGA now is certifying more than 50 Maine dairy farms, which represents almost 12 percent of the total milk produced in Maine.