<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Organic labels can be deceiving. You might come across one that says &amp;quot;100% organic&amp;quot; and another that just says &amp;quot;organic.&amp;quot; And not to stir up a case of consumer mistrust, but some of those products you&amp;#039;re buying might actually contain artificial ingredients. To include the term &amp;quot;organic&amp;quot; on a product label, manufacturers must follow a strict set of guidelines as laid out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture&amp;#039;s National Organic Program. So how do you know which products are truly organic and which contain artificial ingredients? Here are four claims you might come across. 1. 100% Organic This claim is as straightforward as it sounds. If a product is labeled 100% organic, it does not contain non-organic ingredients or additives. 2. Organic If a product is labeled as simply organic it must have a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. Up to 5% can be artificial, like added flavors in food or coloring in cosmetics. Manufacturers do not have free reign over that 5% though: They must adhere to a set list of rules and approved ingredients. 3. Made With Organic Ingredients These products must have a minimum of 70% organic ingredients. The manufacturer may also choose to label the packaging with a specific percentage, such as &amp;quot;80% organic.&amp;quot; The only restriction for the remaining non-organic ingredients is that they must not be on the USDA&amp;#039;s list of prohibited ingredients. In this case, the use of the USDA Organic Seal is not allowed. 4. X% Organic For products with less than 70% organic ingredients, the manufacturer is allowed to label the overall percentage of organic ingredients (i.e. &amp;quot;made with 60% organic ingredients&amp;quot;), but cannot make any reference to the overall product being organic. Here, the remaining non-organic ingredients have no regulations from the USDA. Keep in mind that organic only refers to the production and handling of the agricultural product. Organic doesn&amp;#039;t necessarily mean you&amp;#039;re purchasing a healthier product. Lexie Sachs is a product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Research Institute. NEXT: 5 Green Claims That May Be Misleading \u00BB "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/a24970/organic-labels-defined/>