Organic food is food produced without any artificial fertilisers, chemicals, pesticides, growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. Besides this, the farming techniques are more traditional, including crop rotation, composting, hand weeding and friendly biological pest control, along with free-range animal rearing. But how strictly is this followed before produce gets the organic label applied to it for sale in a grocery store or restaurant? Let’s take a look at the process and what to look out for.
Organic produce in SA isn’t regulated
South Africa currently has no regulations when it comes to the production or labelling of organic products. While the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has tried to set up regulations, the Agricultural Products Standards Act (no. 119 of 1990) has not been amended.
Instead of this, local producers and farmers are following the Foodstuff, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (no. 54 of 1972) and the Consumer Protection Act (no. 68 of 2008) which both clearly state that consumers must not be misled. If you see an organic label on a product, you can request proof from the supplier, and they must provide it. Many local producers follow international regulations for organic produce, but it is worth noting that it is in your best interest to double-check any organic claims, and ask for any certification by international companies, or local quality assurance agencies.
While this sounds terrible, it is worth noting that a lot of international organic farming is done on an honour basis. In the US, for example, the board that certifies farms has the ability to perform spot checks but almost never does, and most of the checks involve ensuring that paperwork is in order, rather than on-site visits or produce tests.
It is worth noting that certain fruits and vegetables will contain less pesticide residue thanks to tough outer skins that make it difficult for pests to eat them. There are lists of produce that have the most and least pesticides, and you could save money by buying non-organic produce off the Clean Fifteen list, and always buying organic if the food happens to appear in the Dirty Dozen list. Here are the lists so that you can eat well while avoiding pesticides, while also saving your wallet.
The Clean Fifteen
- Avocadoes
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Eggplant
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Kiwi
- Cauliflower
- Mushrooms
- Honeydew melon
- Cantaloupe
The Dirty Dozen
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard and mustard greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Bell and hot peppers
- Celery
- Tomatoes
Organic doesn’t mean pesticide free
It is worth noting that organic foods are not completely free of pesticides, it just means that natural ingredients are used and that less is used. Farmers will make use of other options to get rid of pests, such as pheromone traps, releasing beneficial insects and trap cropts. In the event these don’t work, farmers can use biopesticides, which belong to an approved list. Using animal droppings for fertiliser can also introduce micro-organisms, so remember to always wash your produce before cooking or eating it to get rid of any residue on the food. It is also recommended to thoroughly cook organic produce when possible.