◊ By Narayana Upadhyay

Visit ORGANIC SHOP by Pure & Eco India

People are now more conscious than ever before about what they consume. After all, food offers vitality, health, immunity.

Countless studies demonstrate that organically grown food has higher organoleptic properties as compared to conventionally grown food with chemical fertilisers/pesticides.

This bag of jowar atta clearly displays the blue and red ‘India Organic’ logo. Only those audited by a legitimate certification agency are permitted to display this logo. Therefore, the moment you spot this logo on an organic product, you can rest assured the product is genuinely organic. Some products display this logo on the front of the package, whereas others print it on the side or the back. Look for it.

Organically grown food contains more nutrients as no chemicals are used on it at any stage of production.

In a world loaded with unsafe food sources, the motivation to purchase certified organic products keep increasing.

But the market is full of products claiming to be organic. Not all of them are authentic.

It’s been reported that a majority of the Italian olive oil in the market is spurious! This is the case with many other products too in the market today.

Therefore, purchasing only certified organic products is the need of the hour.

Certified organic products guarantee that no chemical pesticides or fertilisers were used in their cultivation.

In fact, organic food is protected at every stage of handling starting from production to packaging.

The ‘Certified Organic’ label can help you make informed choices while shopping for organic products as the label means the product is completely chemical-free and has been strictly audited by a government-approved organic certification agency.

All of the above 4 logos are valid for the Indian consumer. The blue & red ‘India Organic’ logo indicates the product has been officially certified as organic. The PGS-India Green logo means the product has been obtained from farms which are under conversion into organic and have already stopped using chemicals. The PGS-India Organic logo indicates the product has been obtained from farms that have successfully concluded conversion and are now officially organic. The USDA Organic logo means the product is organic and is also exported to the US. Therefore, if you find any of the above logos on a product of your choice, you can rest assured the product is not fake.

Certified organic foods are certified as per government- prescribed norms such as National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP, which is known by its blue and red ‘Indian Organic’ logo).

Organic standards take into account the following: Protecting top soil, soil quality, protection of surface water, conservation of rain water, bio diversity, farm livestock, main crops and intercrops, and recording of farming and post-harvest activities, among other factors.

That is not all! These standards, likewise, incorporate guidelines for natural prepared items, including denying counterfeit additives, flavours, and colours while processing during the value addition process.

Organic standards clearly prescribe guidelines that incorporate explicit rules for both produce and processed products.

Makers certified by a third party certifying body (agency) ensure the producer, processor or trader conforms to all the guidelines prescribed by national and international standards, giving the consumer the confidence that what they are consuming is handled with care at every stage to avoid ensure the absence of contaminants or adulterants.

You can help movement towards organic and chemical free products by choosing certified organic products.

So the next time you hit the shopping cart, take a good look at the product’s packaging to ensure it has the organic logo.

The author is Managing Director, Aditi Organic Certifications Pvt Ltd, one of the government-approved certification agencies in India for organic products.