What you can say when marketing organic 2020 - Flipbook - Page 30
Additives
GM
The use of additives and processing aids is heavily
restricted in organic products,251 organic products
are made with care.252 Only a heavily restricted list
of essential additives and processing aids can be
used in organic products,253 and organic processed
products are made using processing methods that
guarantee the organic integrity and vital qualities
of the product are maintained through all stages of
manufacturing.254
Genetically modified, or genetically modified
organisms (GM or GMOs)
Organic standards prohibit the use of
toxic substances255
Organic standards prohibit the use of
toxic ingredients256
Organic standards prohibit GM crops
and ingredients, hydrogenated fats, and
controversial artificial food colours
and preservatives257
Organic food can only be produced using
natural products and substances258
GM ingredients, hydrogenated fats and
controversial artificial food colours, and
preservatives including sodium benzoate,
aspartame and food colouring tartrazine are
banned under organic standards259
Soil Association standards prohibit the use
of nanoparticles260
Organic food must not be irradiated261
Organic fruit and vegetables cannot be washed
in chlorine262
Organic food systems are opposed to GM, for
environmental, health and social reasons. All GM
ingredients are therefore banned under organic
standards. Whilst GM foods are very limited in
the UK (all imports from outside Europe), most
non-organic livestock are fed them. As such GM-fed
meat, egg and dairy is widespread and unlabelled
in supermarkets.
No GM crops268
No GM ingredients269
Non GM270
No use of GM271
GM crops and ingredients are banned in
organic standards272
GM animal feed is prohibited under
organic standards273
The use of genetically modified organisms is
banned under organic standards274
To meet organic standards, farmers and
processors cannot use GMOs and must show
that they are protecting their products from
contamination with prohibited products from
farm to fork275
• Most non-organic British chickens, pigs and
cows are fed with imported GM crops276
Only organic wax coatings can be used on
organic fruit and vegetables263
Amongst the additives banned by Soil
Association standards are hydrogenated
fat, aspartame (artificial sweetener) and
monosodium glutamate264
Any natural flavourings used in Soil Association
certified organic food can’t be extracted using
ingredients from fossil fuels like hexane
and acetone265
Organic wines are produced in ways that reduce
the potential for allergic reactions, by restricting
the use of sulphur dioxide (Soil Association
standards carry even higher restrictions)266
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Organic food will only contain added vitamins,
minerals, amino acids, micronutrients and trace
elements if this is the law267
Organic standards prohibit
the use of toxic substances