Just because it says ‘organic’ doesn’t mean it is
Australian Organic, a promotion group for organic foods, is warning consumers to watch out for fake organic foods this Organic Awareness Month.
Lunching 2016’s Organic Awareness Month theme, ‘What really is organic?’, Australian Organic Chief Executive Officer, Paul Stadhams, said Australians need to understand what qualifies a product as organic.
“It is a common misconception that because the word ‘organic’ might appear on a label that the product must be good for you,” Stadhams said.
“However this isn’t necessarily the case. We want people to understand that if you want to buy organic then you need to look for a certified organic logo like our Australian Certified Organic (ACO) Bud logo. This is your 100% guarantee that you are buying real, honest organic products,” he stated.
The growth of organics
Australian Organic owns Australian Certified Organic, the nation’s largest organic certifying group. The ACO Bud logo appears on over 17, 000 products including fresh produce, beverages, textiles, cosmetics and cleaning products.
Chairman of Australian Organic, Dr Andrew Monk, said consumers might not realise how diverse the certified organic market is.
“It really is possible to purchase pretty much everything you need certified organic,” Dr Monk said.
According to Australian Organic, the organic industry is worth over AUD $1.8 billion to the Australian economy and this revenue is expected to grow 5.6 per cent over the next year. It is predicted to grow 15 per cent internationally over the same period.
“Buying a product displaying the ACO Bud logo means that product is cruelty free, non GM, pasture fed, socially responsible, sustainably fished, biodiversity friendly and of course grown free from harsh synthetic pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics,” Australian Organics said.
Australian Organic Awareness Month runs for the whole month of September 2016.
