January 19, 1999 - USDA OKs Organic Meat Labels

by Ken Kizner

As it continues to hammer out a proposal that would nationalize standards for all organic foods, the Agriculture Department will allow labeling of such foods. The move is seen as a victory for processors of organic meat and poultry products.

Organically grown fruits, vegetables and other products are allowed to carry an organic label. But until last week, USDA had prohibited that same label for meat and poultry products.

But in making the announcement, USDA Secretary Dan Glickman said he chose to allow meat labels until a new rule is written and finalized partly because development of national standards is taking longer than expected. Glickman said he also believes the rule would provide a boost for organic farmers, who tend to be smaller family farmers.

"This means more information and more choice for American consumers," Glickman said. "It will help organic family farmers and ranchers further expand their already growing markets."

Consumers will see the first organic meat, poultry and egg products in stores by April, said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association. Certified organic meat processors will have to apply to USDA for label approval.

DiMatteo hailed the decision as "a victory for the organic industry and consumers." She said the organization has been working on the issue for nearly a decade.

"I think people have an interest in having choices in the marketplace," DiMatteo said.

The organic industry has grown in recent years as more and more consumers became worried about health effects of pesticides and other chemicals in food and about Earth's ability to sustain conventional farming, according to the Organic Trade Association. The organization estimates that the organic industry is growing from 20 percent to 24 percent a year, with current overall sales of about $4.2 billion.

Certified organic producers must have comprehensive management plans which cover all aspects of production including not only growing and handling but also manure management. Organic agricultural production methods are selected based on criteria that meet all federal, state and local health regulations, work in harmony with the environment, build biological diversity, and foster healthy soil and growing conditions.

To alleviate the disparity and respond to a growing organic industry, USDA is developing national standards to cover the entire industry. The rules would replace a jumble of state and private certification programs that sometimes differ on their definition of organic. The department's first attempt to write a rule ended in failure last year.

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing & Technology.

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