Nowadays, more people than ever before are looking to avoid genetically modified organisms, also known as GMOs, that are found in a variety of foods. For now, there are two food labels that will tell customers if foods are non-GMO: the Non-GMO Project Verified seal and the USDA Organic label. When customers are purchasing food at your venue, they may be curious about the differences between these two labels. There are certain differences between non-GMO produce and organic produce. Here is what you can tell customers about the different non-GMO labels.
USDA Certified Organic Seal
The USDA, known as the United States Department of Agriculture, regulates a program known as the National Organic Program. To receive organic certification, producers and farmers must abide by certain approved methods. Certain organic products have to be non-GMO, meaning that the produce that is grown can’t be grown from GMO seeds, animals aren’t allowed to consume GMO feed, and organic food producers are prohibited from using GMO ingredients.
Farms that are certified organic get inspected every year by a third party organic inspector to make sure they are complying with the different requirements put in place. To satisfy USDA organic regulations, processors and farmers have to show that they don’t use GMOs to any capacity and that they are using approved practices as a means of protecting their crops.
The Non-GMO Project’s Non-GMO Seal
The Non-GMO Project offers labeling for non-GMO items as well as GMO test verification. It’s a nonprofit organization that uses traceability, testing, and segregation as a means of ensuring that foods comply with their standards. Any company that wants to have the Non-GMO Project stamp has to abide by the project’s standards and get their products tested at different stages of their production.
However, even though foods undergo an inspection process, the Non-GMO project isn’t able to legally determine that products are “GMO-free.” This is because there’s a chance that seed crops and ingredients could have been contaminated. However, what separates them from the United States Department of Agriculture is that they are the only company that will provide independent verification of testing to see if products contain any GMOs in the countries of Canada and the United States.
Baywater Farms Has The Right Produce For You
Baywater Farms is a family-owned and operated farm servicing Baltimore, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware beaches, and the Eastern Shore. We are capable of meeting the demands of your produce distributor, restaurant produce supplier, CSA produce supplier, or wholesale produce supplier while maintaining the integrity and character of a small farm. When you work with Baywater Farms, you work with an experienced, ethical, and local farm dedicated to providing the highest-quality heirloom produce possible.