Once in a while it actually feels like all this harping on real certified labels and organic vs. not so much organics pays off. Today was one of those days.

A recent survey by Mambo Sprouts Marketing found that consumers are getting ever so savvy with their shopping habits. About one in three health and natural consumers said that they were either “not very” or “not at all” confident in current ‘natural’ labeling. These same consumers noted that they remain committed to organic-certified products, but are simply leery of labels making “natural’ claims.

Go consumers!

Really, I think this is fabulous news. It shows that all these books and movies released about real organics, all the organic campaigns and all my green blogging pals have actually made a difference with educational advice about real green vs. fake green, or just so-so green products. Surveys in the past were not as great, with more consumers confessing confusion when hit with both an organic label and a natural label.

One part of the survey I didn’t love was that consumers said they might be more willing to buy products labeled as ‘natural’ if there was a good set standard. I get that, but I think it could confuse the issue. What exactly would natural even mean, if we could set standards? I mean in most cases, the natural products I see are better than straight up conventional, but organic certification already helps to ensure that your food is free from pesticides, gmo’s and other icky stuff, like artificial colors and flavors. Would natural fall in-between, and more importantly, why is an in-between category area even necessary?

Plus, let’s be honest, the organic program already could use some work. Why waste time and money inventing a new label, when we can’t even get the organic label right?

Still, all in all, way to go smarty pants consumers! It’s awesome that more and more people are becoming savvy about how and what to buy when it comes to green-minded products.

Don’t you think this is excellent news?!

One of my writing clients, Inhabitots has an excellent exclusive video interview posted. In said video Inhabitat and Inhabitots founder Jill Fehrenbacher talks to Dr. Alan Greene and gets the real facts about toxic chemicals and your family’s health. It’s a must see (check out the video below) or head over to the post to read more.

I posted this a while back at another blog of mine. The client I was writing for shut down their network, but this post I really liked because it reminds me to be more conscious. That said, I’m re-posting it here with some extra numbers added…

As you go about your daily routines today and everyday, it might be good to stop and consider some important eco-minded numbers.

365 – Number of days we all have to make a difference each year, and yet…

137 – The amount of plants, animals and insects species we lose each day to rainforest deforestation.

147,000,000 – The gallons of gas per year that vaporize into the earth’s atmosphere due to shoddy or lost gas caps.

7 – How many trees the average American uses up in one year. Also, the number of greenwashing sins BTW.

4.6 – How many pounds of trash that the average American creates per day.

6,000+ – The amount of cash you’d save if you quit drinking bottled water.

3 – Percent of folks who recycle their cell phone.

2 – Percent of “green” products (out of 2,219 in the United States and Canada) found to be actually green and NOT greenwashing.

80 – Percent of people who think toxic cleaners are safe according to studies.

200 – Number of chemical compounds in household products that have actually been tested for safety OUT of 80,000.

8 – Percent of sunscreens found to be safe and effective.

55 – The percent of paper waste that Americans recycle each year. PAPER! I.e. easily recycled – just 55% – sad.

27 – The percent of disposable water bottles that are recycled in American each year. Not cool when reusable water bottles abound.

107 – number of ingredients in pesticides thought to cause cancer (so far) which makes organic food sound pretty darn good. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)

600 – Number of plastic tampon applicators found on ONE beach during ONE beach clean up day (according to the NYT).

10 – The number assigned to the most toxic, least safe beauty and body care products by Skin Deep. You probably have some 10s in your bathroom right now. Why not check and see?

500 – The number of years that disposable diaper will sit in the landfill.

19,000 – How many pounds of waste the average elementary school creates annually due to lunch time trash.

18,000,000 – Liters of oil saved when a tax on plastic bags was introduced in Ireland (they reduced their plastic bag consumption by 90%).

1 – How many people it takes to start making a difference. Just one. That one person today could be you.

In case you haven’t heard, Toxic America premieres tonight June 2 at 8 p.m. ET on CNN, and it’s a must see for concerned parents.

Toxic America is a special two-night investigative report with Sanjay Gupta M.D. that takes an in-depth look at how toxins affect us all. The first night (that would be tonight) focuses on the specific story of Mossville, Louisiana residents who have been struggling for decades to get government help for problems they say are related to toxic chemical plants. After a year-long study, Dr. Gupta goes on location to investigate and try to get answers.

Tomorrow night’s show is extra relevant if you’re pregnant as it takes a look at expectant mamas and the unseen toxins passed on to their children. If you think your unborn baby is safe from toxins you couldn’t be more wrong. According to CNN…

• When babies are exposed to car and truck exhaust in the womb it can result in a lower IQ at age five.
• Babies enter the world with more than 200 dangerous chemicals in their blood, including flame retardants, dioxins, substances in non-stick coatings like Teflon and hormone-like compounds found in plastic.
• Of course, in news we’ve heard before, out of the 80,000 chemicals in use in the United States, the EPA has only tested about 200 and banned just five.

It is up to you to protect yourself and your children.

Toxic America will share the latest science about how to minimize the risks of harmful chemicals found in the air, your home and in common household products, thus helping you to protect your own body and your kids as well.

Visit the Toxic America website for special features about the toxins in our world then tune in for the show tonight and tomorrow; June 2 & 3, 8 p.m. ET.

Yesterday we looked at some general information about the USDA Organic Seal. Today we’ll look at some common Q&A about this label…

Does the label mean healthy?

No. Organic food can be fattening, full of sodium, or just plain bad for you. Like with non-organic food, your food choices, not the food label dictates healthy eating.  According to the USDA, the OFPA and NOP regulations do not in any way address food safety or nutrition.

Now, that said, while the organic seal doesn’t equal healthy, I do believe that organic food is healthier for your family. Not only does organic food keep nasty pesticides and chemicals out of your body but organics keep that junk out of our soil, water and air as well.

Do all organic foods carry the USDA Organic Seal?

No. A food can meet organic requirements and still not wear the seal. That’s up to the company producing the product. The USDA doesn’t go in and tell companies, “You have to wear the seal!”

Is the USDA Organic Seal trustworthy?

The USDA has not shown themselves to be great advocates for consumers so far as organics are concerned. In fact recent studies show that enforcement of federal laws governing organics have been super slack. That said, after the news broke the USDA came out and said they’re working to make sure the rules are enforced. Nice that they have to be caught to actually do something useful huh?

In any case, this is one reason why you should try to buy locally when you can because you’d be able to check out the company better. Do I think all organics can’t be trusted? No – there are ethical companies out there. As a concerned consumer the best thing you can do is follow the news so you’re aware of organic food issues. Good places to read include…

• Organic Consumer Association
• Sustainable Table
• Sustainable Food News
• Organic Farming News

Which foods are best to buy in organic form?

To break it down I recommend buying any foods on the Dirty Dozen list and any food you give a baby or small child in organic form. After that it gets more complicated. Read my in-depth post about the best foods to buy organic for more information.

Why are organic foods so expensive?

I don’t think organics are too expensive. I think we all make choices and we can make choices that save money, even when buying organics. See many ways to save money on organic food.

Do you have any other questions about organics? Ask in the comments and if I can I’ll help you out.

Bonus link o’ the day - right now my pal Peggy is holding a cool giveaway at Light Green Stairs where you can win a copy of Clean, Green, and Lean: Get Rid of the Toxins That Make You Fat – green dieting books are rare, so this would be a nice score. Go enter!

If you live in the United States and want to buy organic food for your family, you’ll be running into the USDA Organic Food Seal (or label). With this in mind here are some basic facts about the USDA Organic Food label.

The USDA Organic Seal may be printed in green and brown (as shown above), in black and white, or outlined in black on a transparent background. The color of the label does not affect the organic content.

USDA Organic Seal background

Back in 1990 congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) which required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop national standards for organically produced agricultural products to assure consumers that agricultural products marketed as organic meet consistent, uniform standards.

The NOP is a marketing program housed within the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, and NOP, along with the OFPA have set regulations in place that require that agricultural products labeled as organic be certified by a State
or private entity that has been accredited by USDA. One variation of certification is if a company or operation makes $5,000 or less in gross income annually from organic sales – they don’t need to be certified by USDA-accredited certifying agents.

What organic actually means

• Organic crops must be raised without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.
• Animals raised on an organic operation must be fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors.
• Animal products labeled organic cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones.
• Basically, all foods wearing the USDA Organic Seal must be grown without chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, hormones and other genetically altered baddies. Also, this label means the food can’t contain artificial colors or flavors, although some added enzymes, waxes and acids are allowed.

How to read the USDA Organic Seal on food products

Foods in the categories “100% organic” and “organic” are allowed to display the USDA Organic Seal. To break it down, this means…

A “100% organic” food product is a single ingredient food item such as a fruit, vegetable, container of milk, slab o’ meat or cheese. For example a bunch of carrots can be 100% organic; but a product with mixed ingredients like a can of soup won’t be.

An “organic” food product is any food item with multiple ingredients. Within this multiple ingredient food item, there must be 95 to 100% worth of organic ingredients. For example bread made with 50% organic ingredients can’t carry the label, but a frozen meal with 97% organic ingredients can.

Other organic food claims

You may see food labeled as, “Made with organic ingredients.” By law that food product must contain 70% or more ingredients that are organic. You may also see a label that reads, “Contains organic ingredients” – this isn’t a great label. All it means is that a food contains less than 70% organic ingredients but there’s no minimum. A can of soup with 2% organic ingredients can say, “Contains organic ingredients.” The USDA Organic seal cannot be used anywhere on either of these two types of food packages.

If you see labels such as “sustainable, healthy, natural” or other eco-words you should know that these words don’t mean anything from a legal standpoint; which is why, if you want real organics, you should look for the USDA Organic Seal.

Coming up: some common Q&A about the USDA Organic Seal.

[images via USDA]

Or so says Michael Mack, chief executive of Syngenta, a Swiss agribusiness giant that makes pesticides and seeds. According to the New York Times, Mack notes, “Organic food is not only not better for the planet… it is categorically worse.”

His reasoning…

• Organic farming takes up 30% more land than nonorganic farming
• You can’t feed the fast-growing population on existing cropland if you go organic.
• Pesticides are proven safe.

Actually Mack took his speech pretty damn far noting, “If the whole planet were to suddenly switch to organic farming tomorrow, it would be an ecological disaster,” AND that organic food is the “productive equivalent of driving an S.U.V.” Extreme much?

Interesting, but not very convincing.

One, if pesticides are a hunger problem solving miracle then how come we still don’t produce enough food for everyone. It’s economics, greed, and waste, not organic farming that’s to blame if people are starving. Secondly, Mack says that when we don’t believe that pesticides are safe all it does is implicate that we “Don’t trust the government’s findings.” Wow. Really? Because it’s not like the government has ever made mistakes before right?

I get the limits of organics. I get that they’re beaten up sporadically in the news. I get it. However, I also get that I don’t want the maximum levels of pesticides in my son PLUS it takes less energy to produce organics. Mr. Mack can talk and talk but you can’t argue when issues like childhood leukemia, neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, carcinogenicity and immune system suppression, and plenty of other health issues have been linked directly to pesticides and other toxic chemicals in food. Kids are especially at risk for health problems when it comes to pesticide exposure so anyone with children should think long and hard before they start listening to Mack-like logic.

This is just a lovely case of the people making pesticides being terrified that everyone will catch on that pesticides are a danger and they may cause horrible health issues to humans beyond the damage they do to the planet.

See which foods you should always buy organic.

What do you think of this Mack logic?

In My plan to cut out excess packaging, I discussed my plans for cutting out excess packaging this year. However, first I need to know which packaging I have that’s excessive and can be cut, so a small green home audit about said packaging is in order.

I went through my bathroom and found the following packaging – along side each I’ve made notes about which I can cut and which I’m not so sure about.

Packaging in my bathroom:

• Organic Body wash – this was an unnecessary impulse buy and one I don’t need it and two I can cut it by using unwrapped bar soap, homemade body wash, or fill a reusable container with body wash at the natural food store.
• Organic Shampoo – I rarely use shampoo and don’t need a special kind so I can get a refillable bottle instead.
• Conditioner – I have naturally curly hair (blah) and use a super charged, really good organic conditioner. Since I can’t find a decent conditioner in bulk, I don’t know if I can cut this. One option is to make my own conditioner. I make hair masques, but I’ll have to look into conditioner.
• Organic face wash – I should make my own like I used to, but not sure if I want to. I like my current face wash.
• All natural facial grains – I LOVE these facial grains, but I can make my own in a reusable container, they’re not as good IMO, but close.
• Organic shaving cream – well, I could quit shaving, or figure out how to make my own. This is a bath product I haven’t ever tried to make though, so I’m not sure. We’ll call this a maybe.
• Razors – I use recycled razors from Preserve. Right now I like shaving, so I suppose I’ll keep them, but I don’t love how the Preserve razors work. My goal is to find an eco-razor I like better.
• Bath scrubby – I usually have a washable bath scrubby in the tub, most of the time made of natural hemp – right now though for the last year I’ve been using one made with organic cotton fibers. Since I use them to death and rewash, I’m not concerned.
• Lip gloss – OMG I have so much lip gloss that it’s embarrassing. I LOVE lip gloss, especially my Tarte lip gloss. I think though what I’ll do is just commit to buying new Tarte and one take along organic lip gloss when I run out, then recycle the packaging. Another option is to make my own lip gloss more often.
• Deodorant – This is one of the biggest baddies in my bathroom. I don’t buy organic or natural because I’ve never found one I like that works. Trust me, I’ve tried a ton too.  The perfect goal would be to find a healthier one that works in less packaging, but I’m not holding my breath.
• Cosmetics – I actually own very few cosmetics. I don’t really wear make-up much due to the excess packaging and time involved. I have maybe 4-5 organic products, but they were all sent to me by companies for reviews and all have recyclable packaging. However, it’s not like I’m out there buying cosmetics.
• Body lotions – I actually have two bottles of lotion right now, (impulse buys) which is not cool. I used to buy only bulk lotion. However, I think what I’ll do here is switch over to just using my organic soy lotion bars. I LOVE these bars and the packaging is not only reusable but recyclable.
• Face lotion – I hate my current face lotion, and frankly don’t use it much. It’s an organic brand that turned out to be lame. I would like a good face lotion, but I think I’ll stick with making my own unless I can find a brand I actually like that comes in recyclable packaging.
• Q-tips – not organic, and come in lame packaging. I’ve never seen them in bulk though, but I bet could find them in organic cotton. They’d still have the packaging though, but I use them for various things, so I’m not sure I’d give them up.
• Nail polish remover and nail polish – this along with the deodorant above is a big bad, but I like cute nail colors. Darn it. I need to switch over to just using more natural brands of both. Goal – better brands and just a couple of colors.
• Female products – I actually have various sorts; reusable pads, organic tampons, and organic pads. I should cut out all non-reusable pads, which I never used to use ever (not sure why I half switched? Lazy maybe). There are lots of options that are not disposable, so being lazy is a bad excuse.
• Hand soap – I always buy bulk soap and refill my refillable container, so I’m doing good here.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste – I only buy recycled toothbrushes from Preserve and I recycle them when I’m done. I’m not sure what to do about the toothpaste situation. I currently use Tom’s of Maine cinnamon clove paste with fluoride. I know the debates about fluoride, but I’m on the side of it’s better. I’m not sure if I could make my own. I’ll look into it, because it would cut out the packaging. However, one good thing is that the tubes are recyclable so maybe this is some packaging I could keep.
• Floss – my dental floss comes in plastic packaging and while I do toss it in the recycling bin, I’m not 100% sure it’s recyclable. I need to cute out floss packaging, but since I don’t know anything about it, I’ll need to look into it.
• Oils – I don’t use perfume, but I do use essential oils. The packaging is recyclable though, and I use them to make homemade beauty products, so I won’t be cutting them. Note, I rarely buy them.
• Hair ties and clips – I use little plastic bands and plastic hair clips right now if I want to wear my hair pulled back. I could quit that and just use a piece of cut hemp like I used to.
• Comb – I have a plastic comb, which will probably last many more years. I should buy a more sustainable, non-plastic version the next time I need one though.

Whew. That’s a lot of bathroom stuff, and I’ve got a lot less than most people I know, which is scary. All in all my audit revealed the following…

• There’s some non-reusable packages I can cut. Shampoo, lip gloss, body wash, and facial grains. I’ll need to get some refillable containers that are non-toxic for these products or buy less (like with the lip gloss).
• I need to research floss and see what’s out there that’s eco-friendly.
• My bathroom is pretty non-toxic overall. I use mostly organic products, but I could find a better, more eco-friendly versions of deodorant, cotton swabs, and nail care products.
• I need to do away with non-reusable female care products and plastic hair clips and bands.
• I need to find out if it’s possible to make homemade organic shaving cream.

If I do all this, it’ll save on lots of packaging and result in a healthier bathroom overall. Coming up soon, I’ll run green home audits for packaging in the kid’s bathroom, kitchen, and pantry too.

Now, is there any excess packaging in your bathroom that you could cut?

Organic foods do more than help keep toxins out of our soil, water, and air. They also keep dangerous toxins out of your family’s bodies and help keep farmers (and farmers children) safe which yes is better for everyone’s health in spite of recent news that claims otherwise. Organics better support a local economy and are a good purchase because you’re showing companies and the government where your eco-priorities stand. Lastly, if more people purchase organics prices will go down (simple supply and demand) so your purchase can help other families to be able to afford organics.

That said, right now, organic versions of foods do tend to be priced somewhat higher than conventional, so if you only have so and so dollars set aside in your budget for organics, you may as well put those dollars to the best possible use. Following is a handy list of the foods you should always try to buy organic before others…

Veggies & Fruits — in any form (canned, jarred, fresh, frozen, dehydrated, etc.)

When buying produce I tend to go by the Dirty Dozen list first. The Dirty Dozen list is made up of produce that has the largest concentrated amounts of pesticides. The current Dirty Dozen includes…

1. Peaches (worst)
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Imported Grapes
11. Carrots
12. Pears

Other produce consider buying organic at all times include…

• Edamame (soy beans) + soy milk + soy formula + tofu
• Potatoes — all colors and varieties (including frozen like tator tots or french fries).
• Spinach
• Lemons, oranges, and limes or other citrus when used for zest

Dairy products + eggs:

Dairy products and eggs contain large amounts of growth hormones. Also, organic versions of dairy and eggs are more beneficial for your health. I always buy organic milk because my son drinks a lot of it. I also try to always buy organic cheese, milk, and yogurt, because Cedar also eats a lot of these items. I’m more flexible on items like butter, cream cheese, and ice cream because we don’t consume as much of it, although when I find a decent priced organic alternative I will buy it. Note: before you buy organic dairy read – choosing sustainable dairy and can you trust organic dairy products?

Meat and poultry:

There are pesticides found in meats and poultry because cows and other animals eat feed grown in heavy toxic chemicals, but the main reason that studies and most experts say you should buy organic meat is because of the dangers of hormones, antibiotics and additives. To avoid both pesticides and unnatural additives, you should always buy organic meats and poultry. That said, organic meats are super expensive, so another option is to simply eat less meat which is more healthy anyhow. Note though, if you exchange meat for soy based products, you should buy those in organic form too, because soy is a high pesticide offender.

Baby food: Infants and young children are far more susceptible to the dangers of pesticides than adults. Every bite of food your baby has should be organic – and honestly, since they eat small amounts, this is an affordable area, especially if you make your own homemade organic baby food – bonus, it’s VERY easy to make homemade baby food, I promise.

Grains: According to Safe Food, grains (along with animal products and wine) show the most pesticide residue of all food products. However, other studies show that whole grain breads have more pesticides than white because whole wheat bread, “Uses the entire kernel, so can contain more pesticides than white bread, which is made using only the inside of the kernel.” (Source – pdf). Another study shows that bread is a top kid affecting food, because little ones tend to eat a lot of it. Quite a few pesticides are found in rice (a grass not grain, but here we’ll call it a grain) and rice products. Pasta, another grain, picks up its own fair share of pesticides.

Basically, grains is one of those categories where you should buy organic of any item you eat a lot of whenever possible. The good news is that organic rice, pasta, and grains are actually not much more expensive that their conventional counterparts – especially if you purchase them from the bulk section of your grocery store. Bread is the one exception here, and usually runs considerably higher cost for organic, but you can still afford it if you get a natural store name brand, i.e. Whole Foods brand or Trader Joes.

In a nutshell:

It’s a lot to digest but really, you don’t want your kids eating pesticides. Studies show that feeding children organics does result in extremely smaller amounts of toxins and other nasty junk in their bodies. Also, I know it can seem overwhelming, because organics can cost more, but with budget changes you can afford it. Soon, some tips on how to make those budget changes so that your family can afford organic foods.

Which foods does your family buy in organic form?

It pays to look for a green baby mattress. Most traditional mattresses are made with PVC, polyester, and or foam. After production these mattresses are covered in flame-retardant chemicals and PBDE’s. Some of these chemicals have been implicated in SIDS – although not all research backs that up. Also consider that babies spend quite a bit of their time on their mattresses and that their smaller bodies are more affected by chemicals and pesticides than our larger adult bodies. All of this said, your best bet is to go organic.

Organic and natural mattresses used to be way more expensive. Currently, you can get a nice deal on one. In most cases you will still pay more for organic, but your child’s health is worth it.

Where to find decent priced healthy baby organic crib mattresses:

• Naturepedic – nice selection; including round.
• Ecobaby Organics – great selection plus cribs and bedding. Right now they have free shipping until Easter too.
• EcoChoices Natural Living Store

What if you REALLY can’t afford it?

Sometimes, no matter how inexpensive, a family cannot afford an organic crib mattress. If this is the case, then there are some second options, such as buying organic baby crib sheets. You can also buy a conventional crib mattress early and then unwrap it and allow it to air out for a couple of months. Research shows that most of the toxins and fumes released by mattresses are released early on, soon after unwrapping. Your baby’s exposure to these fumes will be limited if you take the plastic off well before your baby is due. This should release many of the fumes created by standard crib mattress baddies like PVC plastic polyurethane foam, and flame retardants.