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Organic certifier takes a stand on labelling at food show

Blind tastings, chances to win organic goods, and free information about organics are just some of what New Zealand’s leading organic certifier BioGro will be dishing up for consumers at the upcoming food show in Wellington, 14-16 May 2010.

“By being a part of the show we’re giving consumers the opportunity to taste and learn why and how organics is better than non-organic food” says BioGro’s CEO, Dr Michelle Glogau.

While an increasing number of people are choosing to buy organic food over non-organic food, there is a still confusion amongst some consumers about what ‘organic’ actually means.

“This is not surprising” Dr Glogau explains. “There is a lot of misinformation and there are many myths around organic and non-organic farming. And despite much lobbying, there is still no specific regulation in New Zealand protecting the word ‘organic’ so products can be labelled as ‘organic’ without any requirement to prove this through certification”.

One of BioGro’s objectives is to make consumers aware that when they buy a product carrying BioGro’s logo they can be guaranteed that the highest organic standards have been met every step of the way.

BioGro has developed organic standards to define what organic producers can or can’t do. For example, farms must go through a three year conversion period before they are certified-organic and there is 12 month stand down period for animals if a conventional treatment is used.

Dr Glogau adds “We want more people to understand that organics means more than just spray-free or residue-free”.

Organic food is grown without the routine use of synthetic agricultural pesticides or fertilizers. Organic farmers aim to produce healthy and nutritious food from a balanced living soil and any processing is designed to retain its organic integrity and natural goodness, and minimize the use of additives.

“And we want to take consumers’ understanding one step further than that. We want them to appreciate the difference between ‘organic’ and ‘certified-organic’".
BioGro urges consumers to be savvy when shopping for organics and pay attention to what’s claimed on labels. If a product doesn’t say its ‘certified-organic’, BioGro suggests that consumers ask the grower or retailer what they mean by ‘organic’ and how they can prove that what they’re buying really is ‘organic’.
BioGro is 100% focussed on organics and has been at the forefront of commercial organics in New Zealand since it was founded 27 years ago. It continues to be led by its philosophical roots, with organic standards that support the organic principles it was founded on. It holds accreditations from International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM), ISO 17020 and other international accreditations too which means its certification procedures and quality systems are regularly and independently audited.

To be certified-organic by BioGro, producers need to document a full management plan and record all inputs used in production. Producers are audited at least annually, along with spot audits, to verify that they comply with BioGro’s organic standards.

A number of BioGro-certified businesses will be showcasing their products at The Food Show including Retro Organics (a recent award winner at the Cuisine NZ Champions of Cheese Awards). For further information visit www.biogro.co.nz and http://www.foodshow.co.nz/index.cfm/visit/Wellington

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