How to Tell if Food is Organic

Organic food tends to look the same as its non-organic counterparts. Knowing this, how are we supposed to tell which foods are organic and which ones aren’t? Luckily, there are a couple of things to look out for that can help us spot potentially organic food.

1. Look for a “Certified Organic” sticker.

The easiest way to spot certified organic food is by finding a sign, sticker, or other indication that states the food is organic. Different countries have different symbols for identifying organically certified food and knowing which symbols are used in your own country can make finding organic food much easier.

2. Look at the price.

Organic food is often more expensive than regular food, so price can sometimes be a good indicator for whether or not a product is certified organic. If there are two bins of the same type of food and the food in one of those bins costs more than the other, then odds are the more expensive of the two is organic.

Unfortunately, some unscrupulous food producers and grocery stores label their regular food as organic, just so they can charge more. Due of this, a certified organic sticker or higher price tag doesn’t necessarily mean the food is organic. Fortunately, however, most store owners and food producers are honest about their organic food and use the correct labels.

So, if it's difficult telling which foods are organic, then it’s time to start looking for “certified organic” symbols while out shopping. Spotting similar food items with higher price tags can also be a good indicator of organic food in some cases, but short of trusting those who produce and sell the food to use the correct labels, the only way to know for certain that your food is organic is to grow it at home.