Reading Labels

* Natural

Natural does not mean organic. Natural is a loose term that generally means the product is free of artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and preservatives.

Unlike organic, natural products do not have certification. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) defines "natural" in the following way: A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a processed which does not fundamentally alter the raw product).

* Transitional

Transitional products are grown according to the Organic Rule regulations, but have not yet met a three-year requirement in order to label their product as "Organic".

* Organic

The USDA approved four categories of organic labels, based on the percentage of organic content.

1. 100 Percent Organic -- product must contain only organically produced raw or processed material (excluding water and salt).

2. Organic -- Product must contain, by weight (excluding water and salt), at least 95 percent organically produced raw or processed agricultural product.

3. Made With Organic Ingredients -- at least 70 percent of content is organic and the front product panel may display the phrase "Made with Organic" followed by up to three specific ingredients.

4. Less than 70 percent of content is organic -- may list only those ingredients that are organic on the ingredient panel with no mention of organic on the main panel.

Note: The USDA seal can only be used to identify raw and processed products that are certified as organically produced. It cannot be used for products labeled as "made with organic ingredients" (70 percent to 95 percent organic ingredients) or on products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients.