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COMMUNITY CORNER
SIMPLE GREEN LIVING
Sustainable Food Green Home and Garden Healthy Children Safe Bodycare NEIGHBORHOOD FUN
Events Going On Around the Bay  What does the Organic Label mean?We have all seen products at stores with the Organic label or claims of using organic ingredients, but what do they really mean? On October 21, 2002, the USDA guidelines on organic food labeling went into effect, making the organic label available to farmers and producers. Organic foods are produced by farmers using renewable resources and focusing on environmental conservation in their methods. Organic foods are produced without the use of conventional pesticides, ionizing radiation, sewage sludge or bioengineering methods. No antibiotics or hormones can be given to meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products that are classified as organic. Only organic feed can be given to organic livestock. Before a product can carry the organic seal, it must pass inspection by a certification agency (approved by USDA) to ensure that the product meets or exceeds the federal requirements. The USDA Organic Seal is purely voluntary but most producers will carry it if they meet the requirements as a product differentiation label. The fraudulent use of the Organic Seal or labeling can be fined up to $10,000 for each violation. Several levels of labeling are available, depending on the specification of the product:
The difference between “natural” vs. “organic” products commonly causes confusion, particularly with health and beauty products. Unlike organic labels, there is no official guideline for natural product claims. In addition, the FDA's decision to withdraw its authority and the organic labeling regulation for personal and beauty products is relatively recent so read the ingredients carefully. Organic Wine Label 101-courtesy Organic Vintners There are currently two different categories of organic wine labeling in the United States. The label requirement for the organic category and the issue with sulfites as interpreted by the US Tax and Trade Bureau and the USDA National Organic Program are the cause for two separate organic wine categories. The two categories have created consumer confusion and have spawned an ambiguous "sustainable" category for which there are no federal guidelines or laws. It is unfortunate that in many organic wine sections, even the most sophisticated ones at major national natural food retailers, there are plenty of wines whose labels say nothing about organic, are not labeled as organic, are not certified organic and carry no organically certified logo. These wines simply do not belong in the organic wine section. The two categories that are real are: Made with Organic Grapes - Grapes have been grown in accordance to the comprehensive organic standards established by the USDA National Organic Program. In addition, wine has been produced and bottled in a certified organic facility with low levels of added sulfites. Sulfite content must not exceed 100 parts per million (ppm), as opposed to conventional wines which may contain up to 350 ppm. These wines may not carry the USDA Organic green logo even though they are made with at least 99.99% organic grapes and .01% or less sulfur dioxide. See accompanying article on Sulfites: What are they and What do they do? Organic Wine - Grown, produced and bottled as above. These wines may carry the USDA organic logo. Contrary to traditional winemaking, this category has no ADDED sufites, although traces of naturally occurring sulfites may still be detected as "it is impossible to make a sulfite-free wine, because wine yeast produces sulfur dioxide or SO2 during the fermentation process." See http://winemakermag.com/mrwizard/228.html To add into the mix, many wines now carry the Biodynamic certification. Biodynamic Wine - Biodynamic farming embraces all the standards of organic viticulture but also adds other dimensions, including planting by lunar and solar cycles, using special compost preparations and attempting self-sufficiency by bringing in as few amendments and supplies from outside the vineyard. European producers have embraced this method more so than domestic farmers. Demeter is the certifying body for biodynamic farming. Pesticides on your tableWhen you eat a fresh salad, you feel healthy and natural: but do you ever wonder what else you are eating besides that crisp green lettuce? With conventional farming methods, pesticides play a significant role in preserving crops and enhancing the “quality” appearance of produce for consumers. However, this raises concern about the level of pesticide residue on the produce that hits your dining table. Level of Pesticide Residual in Produce Table 1: Twelve Most Contaminated Produce
Among these items, fresh peaches have the most overall pesticides and along with fresh nectarines, are most likely to have multiple pesticides. Celery, spinach and bell peppers consistently tested the highest in overall and multiple pesticides. Table 2: Twelve Least Contaminated Produce
In general, the least contaminated items have low likelihood of multiple pesticides residual. Tips and thoughts on how to manage/avoid pesticide residualFruits and vegetables are beneficial to our health and their benefits outweigh the potential risks of pesticides, so we are not advocating a reduction in your fruit and vegetable consumption. However, if you want to limit or eliminate pesticides as an ingredient in your diet:
1 Tables 1 and 2 were results compiled from an analysis performed by the Environmental Working Group, which examined tests for pesticides (done by USDA and FDA on 46 most popular produce from 1994 -2001. A "Wallet Guide", full "Report Card" and study methodology can be found at www.foodnews.org What are VOCs and how do they impact my life?VOCs stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, which are emitted as gasses from certain solids or liquids. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that "VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects". Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to 10x) than outdoors,. A wide variety of products emit VOCs, including paints and lacquers, cleaning products, pesticides, building materials and furnishing, and etc. These Volatile Organic Compounds may cause a variety of adverse health efforts. EPA also provides a number of examples: "Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans". Fortunately many manufacturers have begun designing and making products that have low or zero-VOCs. In the current market place, consumers can choose from a great number of products, such as, low- or zero-VOC paints and primers, zero-VOC carpet backing, and furniture made without VOC-emitting adhesives. To learn more about VOCs and indoor air quality, please go to the EPA website: www.epa.gov What is FSC-certified wood?FSC is a certification created by an international network - Forest Stewardship Council whose mission is to promote environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forest. There are two types of FSC certificates:
To verify the FSC-certification status, ask for the supplier's COC certificate, and demand an invoice or receipt that details the FSC certified status of the product you are purchasing. If the invoice of the line-item does not have FSC certified, the material is not FSC certified. To learn the details of FSC principles & criteria as well as the certification process, please go to the FSC website: www.fsc.org  What is OrganicPicks?OrganicPicks is a community-based resource site where friends and neighbors share their practical knowledge and experience on a greener living by:
By connecting people in the neighborhood, OrganicPicks also provides an open channel for local and green businesses to reach not just the greater community but other like-minded businesses. Why use OrganicPicks?As more and more people integrate environmental and social responsibility into a healthy life for themselves and their families, they start using organic and environmentally sustainable products and services. Though this trend is forceful and exciting, much of the knowledge and experience still remain with individuals and a handful of experts and are communicated primarily through word of mouth. OrganicPicks is a gathering place to collect the knowledge and experience from real people like you and share the valuable insight with the community. Does OrganicPicks sell any products?OrganicPicks presents ratings and reviews of products and services by consumers in our community. We do not sell any products or services. How do I contact OrganicPicks?To contact OrganicPicks, please go to the top of any page and click on the GIVE FEEDBACK link. Please enter the reason(s) you are contacting us and ways we can reach you, and press the SUBMIT button. How do I provide feedback to OrganicPicks?We value your feedback to us, whether it is on how to improve our website or our offerings. To provide your feedback, please go to the top of any page and click on the GIVE FEEDBACK link. Please enter your feedback and press the SUBMIT button. Why do I need to register and how do I register?By registering, you can contribute your ratings and reviews of products/services, and share deals and your thoughts with others. To register, please go to the top of any page and click on the SIGN IN link, which will take you to the Sign In page. In the right hand side box, labeled “To become a member”, enter a username you like and a password you will likely remember. Please also enter your email address and zipcode. We will not publish your email address on this site. When you log into the site, only your username will be public, on the personalized pages and on any reviews you write. How can I retrieve my forgotten password?If you forget the password, go to the top of any page and click on the SIGN IN link, which will take you to the Sign In page. In the left hand side box, labeled “Already a member”, you will see a link forgot your password? Click on that link. It will ask you for your email address. Please enter the email address you used when you first registered at OrganicPicks and press the Retrieve button. You will receive your password in your email. How do I rate and review a product/service?On any product or service page, click on the Write a Review link. You will be taken to a form where you can enter your rating and review. If you have not signed in or registered at this point, you will be prompted to sign in or register first. After sign in or registration, you will be automatically brought back to the review page. Use the pull-down menu to rate the product/service based on the criteria provided. If you have questions about the criteria, move your cursor to the definition, you will see the definition and a few examples. Please provide your knowledge and experience with the product/service in the Detailed Review text box. After your review is completed, click on the Continue button. If you are satisfied with your review, click on the Submit button to submit. Otherwise use the browser Back button to go back to the previous page and edit. How long does it take for my review to be published?Your rating and review will be published within a week after your submission. However OrganicPicks reserves the right not to publish the review if we deem the review to violate our Site/User Policy. How are the ratings calculated?The Overall Satisfaction and individual criteria rating are based on the average ratings of all the product reviews submitted. What if I want to review a product or service that is not currently listed?If you cannot find a product or service in our exiting listings and would like to add it, please go to the top of any page and click on the Add A Listing link. If you have not signed in or registered at this point, you will be prompted to sign in or register first. After sign in or registraion, you will be automatically brought back to the Add A Listing page. There, you will be prompted to select whether you want to submit a product or a service. After you press the Submit button, you will be taken to a form where you can enter the detailed information about the product/service you want to submit, as well as your rating and review. Please use the pull-down menu to best categorize the product/service. Provide the name, short description, and where you find the product (if it is an online store, you do not need to provide the city where you find it). Follow the Write a Review process to rate and review the product/service. How long does it take for the product/service I want to submit to be listed?Your rating and review will be published within a week after your submission. However OrganicPicks reserves the right not to list the product/service or its associated rating and review if we deem that it is inconsistent with our general site theme and principle or that it violates our Site/User Policy.  Why OrganicPicksOrganicPicks was created when two women, who used to live off of work adrenaline, take out dinners and Grande Triple Mochas became MOTHERS and began to reconsider what was truly important to them and to their families. It was not a temporal catharsis but a gradual change in mindset and lifestyle. The tipping point was when one of the moms caught her three year-old licking a window that had just been cleaned with ammonia hydroxide (a.k.a Windex) and wondered what other chemicals have been unknowingly introduced into their families’ bodies. The incident triggered a quest for information about organic products, where to find them and how the organic movement affects the environment. After many trials and errors, they realized that knowing where to find something is only part of the game. The missing links are how good these products are and where they can find the best value (since neither have trust funds or married for money). They were unable to find a single source that had all the essential information, so they decided to create their own resource to provide the details that they and many other consumers desire. The mission of OrganicPicks is to create a community-based resource where friends and neighbors share their practical knowledge and experience on a greener lifestyle by:
By connecting the people in our neighborhood, OrganicPicks also provides an open channel for local and green businesses to reach not just the greater community, but other like-minded businesses. About the FoundersCindy Wang, co-founder, used to work in the corporate world while dreaming about creating a business that would speak to her passion for environmental conservation. She feels incredibly lucky being able to combine her personal and business interests in OrganicPicks. She is trying to make her life greener one small step at a time, from biking to the post office, buying only credible organic milk for her daughters, to bringing her own mug to coffee shops. Cindy lives in the bay area with her family. Cindy Chen, co-founder, is a Bay Area native who returned to the Peninsula after braving several seasons of record snow and heat in East Coast. After many years of advising clients on strategic business issues, she decided to embark on the OrganicPicks venture to use her experience to contribute to her community and still make time for the PTA. Her inspiration for leading a healthy and balanced life, one day at a time, is her three year old daughter. They have incorporated their passion for a greener lifestyle into their everyday life. They are documenting and sharing their green practices, reviews, thoughts, and opinions in their blog.  We are always happy to hear from our community. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please contact us at feedback@organicpicks.com. |
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