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Labelling

The rules that govern the labelling of organic foods come from the EC Regulation. They are designed to ensure that consumers are not misled.

In the case of a product in a natural state such as potatoes, the rules are simple: potatoes may be described as organic only if they have been grown by a registered producer of organic foods. You might see on the label 'Organically Grown Potatoes' or perhaps just 'Organic Potatoes'.

Though not legally required there may also be a brief description of organic farming and perhaps the logo of the inspection body concerned and the address of the grower or packer. These rules are the same for manufactured products with one or more organic ingredient. For example, in the case of flour or bread, the label might say "flour made from organically grown wheat' or 'wholemeal bread baked from organic flour'.

The EC standards recognise that it is not always possible to make products entirely from organic agricultural ingredients. For instance some herbs and spices might not be available in organic form. The manufacturer can use up to 5% of such minor ingredients and still label the product organic. The Regulation specifies those food ingredients which may be used within the 5% limit and which are not considered to be sufficiently available in organic form.