Consumers today have more food choices available than at any other time in human history …. but the terms and labels that communicate differences in food production and preparation are all too often more confusing than helpful. The word “organic” is one of these.
Many people believe that something labeled organic means the product is healthier than a non-organic version. That’s the impression organic growers and manufacturers have tried to create ….
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Organic marketers understood that the higher price tag of their products would deter customers unless they made them afraid to use the cheaper alternatives. So in addition to touting non-existent health benefits, organic marketers embarked on a campaign to make consumers believe they would be harmed and their health undermined if they bought conventional food.
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In making these pesticide-free and natural claims, they count on consumer ignorance of the fact that organic food can have synthetic ingredients, over 50 of them, all determined by organic farmers and lobbyists appointed to an industry panel within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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These tactics have been wildly successful.
In the 18 years since the USDA organic label was created, organic food has become a $124 billion industry based on claims that the government specifically said were false.
Read full, original article: Opinion: Organic label misleads consumers
