Right to name

With full confidence, only those products that have a certificate from one of the generally accepted certification organizations in the world can be called ecological or organic.

Russian certification you can trust - the “Leaf of Life” badge of the St. Petersburg Eco-Union. Of the foreign ones generally accepted on the Russian market, the most widely used are the EU Eurolist, the American USDA Organic, the Italian ICEA, and private foreign certificates of the Demetra and Bioland systems.

If we talk about the differences between our and non-our certificates, the Russian national standard for organic products is adapted from generally accepted international standards and has minor differences. True, it came into force quite recently, only this year.

Certificate – quality guarantee

The certificate mark on the product means that it was produced without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, anabolic drugs, steroids, or GMOs. To obtain such a certificate, the product, at every stage of its production - from seed to the counter, is very strictly checked by inspectors of certifying companies. Everything is very strict and everything can be verified: each batch of products has its own number, which can be used to check the authenticity of the product by going to the website of the certification company. The certificate must be confirmed every year and only for a certain volume of products. It will not be possible to sell products from a neighboring uncertified field under the guise of organic; the inspector will quickly discover this. They check everything - land, seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, feed, living conditions for animals, slaughter method, processing, transportation, storage.

“Eco” and “organic” do not count

Products that do not have a certificate, but simply the words “eco”, “bio” or “organic” on the packaging are just a statement from the manufacturer, which may or may not be true. Unfortunately, Russia has not yet adopted a federal law on organic products, which would prohibit simply putting such labels on packaging, which is what many unscrupulous manufacturers take advantage of. Despite the fact that in Russia there are catastrophically few certified producers of organic products, no more than 70 throughout the country. While, for example, in Turkey there are more than 40 thousand, in India there are 500 thousand.

If there is no certificate

What should we focus on if most domestic products do not have any certificates, but do we need something?

Products that need to be treated with special care are pork, chicken, eggs, milk and dairy products, sweets, out-of-season fruits and vegetables, and commercially grown fish. It is worth giving up processed foods and fast food. It is better to prefer natural products with a short shelf life to any processed products. It is extremely difficult to determine the environmental friendliness of products by appearance, color, and smell, since there are such “craftsmen” who give ordinary products natural properties that even experienced experts will not find the difference.

The most obvious differences in taste, smell and appearance are natural apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, meat, ukop, honey, cottage cheese, and cheese. Most products are difficult to distinguish immediately.

You definitely shouldn’t choose fruits and vegetables that are glossy and beautiful, identical in size and shape, or very large; as a rule, these are GMO products grown with a large amount of agro-toxic chemicals. Cow's and goat's milk should not have a strong or unpleasant smell. If this is so, then the animals were kept in dirt and poorly cared for. Ask meat and milk sellers what they feed their animals. If the answer is: store-bought “compound feeds,” then it is better not to take such milk and meat, since most commercial feeds already contain GMOs, antibiotics and growth hormones.

Closer to nature

The quality is closer to ecological for those who prepare their own feed and do without imported premixes. Completely natural and healthy milk comes from free-grazing animals that eat natural grass feed, as is customary in organic farming. It is better to buy meat and milk from small farms with up to 8 animals. The less crowded the animals are, the less they get sick, the less the risk of containing antibiotics in products. Well, the natural smell of fresh vegetables and fruits, not grown industrially, speaks for itself; it is impossible to fake it.

According to WHO, a person eats from 3 to 9 kg of preservatives, stabilizers and other food additives per year. Organic products don't have all this.

Natural products are more filling, they are better absorbed by the body, and contain more vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. With a properly balanced diet of natural products, it is easier to maintain an optimal weight for the body, while semi-finished and industrial food, in addition to the fact that it has lost some of the beneficial substances from processing and freezing, it also contains cheap components that are difficult for the body to digest.

From my garden

Today, the safest way of high-quality ecological nutrition is either certified organic (Eco, bio) products or products grown in your own garden beds. Products from your garden/garden or from the forest can be considered environmentally friendly if you did not use GMOs, agrochemicals, antibiotics, growth hormones, or food additives during the growing or production process. And also if your site is far from industrial production and highways, and the soil and water for irrigation do not contain heavy metals and harmful chemical compounds.

Environmentally friendly product is a food product that is made from natural raw materials using modern technology, ensuring minimal ingress of other substances into the product, does not contain foreign inclusions, and is obtained without the use of mineral fertilizers, pesticides and in the absence of man-made influences. 70–90% of all potentially harmful substances enter the human body with food. In this regard, the idea of ​​E.ch.p. was born as a certain anti-culture, a protest against environmental pollution. Thus, national American standards for clean products include several prohibitions on: the use of artificially created chemical fertilizers, the use of genetically modified technologies, the use of growth and fattening stimulants, antibiotics and hormonal drugs, as well as the use of organic-based feed. The market for environmentally friendly products tends to come under close scrutiny from business and society. People are explained in detail what the benefits of organic food are and why it is worth paying extra for it. Assortment of E.ch.p. in regular American stores, there are about 400 items. The organic industry offers an alternative to almost every product on the traditional market. The most popular categories are:

• coffee, tea, fruits and vegetables, presented both fresh and processed;
• some spices, dried fruits and nuts;
• seasonal products: fresh fruits and vegetables that are in high demand at certain times of the year;
• environmentally friendly substitutes for traditional products: bakery products, dairy and meat products, environmentally friendly drinks and wines, etc.;
• environmentally friendly products for children (baby food, cereals, etc.);
• environmentally friendly clothing and cosmetics.

Each group of E.ch.p. enjoys special priority: frozen foods, semi-finished products and ready-made food - by 39% per year, baby food by 38%, bakery products and cereals by 37%, dairy and meat products by 36%.

The formation of the ECP market is taking place in the Russian Federation; the prospects for its development in our country are great. A certain obstacle for the territory of Russia is the following problems: the high cost of ecological agricultural production projects due to the lack of necessary equipment for applying certified fertilizers and their proper storage, the lack of equipment for mechanical weeding and pruning of branches, and sprinkling systems. The financial costs required to implement these technologies are estimated at $200–1000 per 1 ha for cereals and $5000–8000 per 1 ha for growing fruits; lack of certified lands (in the Russian Federation they account for only 0.003% of the area of ​​all agricultural lands with a total area of ​​406 million hectares). Their certification may take a little time, provided that the history of the fields and other documentation were correctly maintained, and the chemical indicators of the soil correspond to acceptable levels; increased time and costs for the production of environmentally friendly products, which are several times higher than the time costs for the production of conventional products; Pre-sale preparation of goods, their storage and shipment were carried out. The volumes of environmentally friendly products are still relatively small, so there is the option of mixing them with other inorganic products. The main factor that slows down the development of this market in Russia is the lack of state standards and certification of E.C.P. in accordance with the international level and strict legal framework.

What are organic products? How to choose an environmentally friendly product? What does it say on the labels? We will answer these and other questions about natural products in our article!

It is important to know how to choose high-quality, natural and environmentally friendly food products. This article explains how to shop more efficiently at the grocery store, read labels correctly, and choose organic foods. It's not difficult, but a little knowledge will be extremely helpful.

First, let's look at some general recommendations and tips on how to read food labels:

• Both the ingredients and their nutritional value are important - one without the other does not reflect the full picture;
• In the list, ingredients are listed in descending order. This means that the first ingredient is most abundant in a given product, and the last ingredient is found in the least amount;
• Make sure that sugar and salt are at the end of the list of ingredients;
• If you're looking for fatty foods, remember that fat content is listed in grams on labels. The percentage listed next to fat is the percentage of daily intake, not the percentage of calories coming from fat in a given food item. Look at the top of the label where it says "calories from fat" and to find the percentage, divide that number by the total calories. That is, calories from fat account for about half of the total calories, then approximately 50% of the calories in the product come from fat.
• If you need carbohydrates, choose natural foods that contain fewer processed carbohydrates.
• On bread labels, the first words in the list of ingredients should include words like “whole” and “millstone.” You'll often see "unbleached, enriched wheat flour" but that's not what you're looking for - this type of bread is processed and whole grains are added for color. The first ingredient should be whole grains
• Quality carbohydrates should contain fiber and sugar. Try to avoid carbohydrates without fiber. At the same time, carbohydrates, which contain nothing but fiber, also do not provide the necessary nutrients. Try to ensure that 1/6 of the total amount of carbohydrates in the product is fiber. That is, 20 grams of carbohydrates should contain about 3-4 grams of fiber.
• Whether or not to consume highly processed foods is your choice. But it is better to give preference to whole, natural foods. If there are too many Latin words on the label - for example, ingredients that you can't read or don't know, it's best to put it away.
• Canned foods, frozen dinners, and other processed foods tend to be high in sodium. Instead, buy whole, individual ingredients and then prepare the meals yourself. You can freeze them and store them in containers.

Secrets of natural products

Mixed Ingredients

Often products are grouped by ingredient list, with the goal of presenting the elements in a specific order. Sometimes this happens legally, and sometimes it can be a scam. Most people understand that ingredients should be listed in descending order of quantity - in other words, the ingredient that is most abundant in a given product should come first. Thus, if you are looking for a protein bar, then you will be lucky to purchase one whose label says:

double delicious protein blend (hydrolyzed cow hoof proteins, whey), maltodextrin

The label also states that it contains no sugar.

Of course, there is a lot more that goes into this. Special protein mixture - what is it really? Let's just say that there are 10 g of whey, 11 g of cow's hoof protein and 12 g of maltodextrin. The ingredients should be in descending order, i.e. “maltodextrin, hydrolyzed cow hooves, whey.”

Anyone familiar with sugars knows that while maltodextrin has no effect on sugar levels, it has a very high sugar content and is therefore not advisable to be top of the ingredient list (unless it's a post-workout shake). So, looking at a label like this, the average consumer will say to themselves: "high sugar content, tons of poor quality protein and very little whey."

So what to do? It's simple. The company combined protein from cow's hooves and whey. This is the “Double Delicious Protein Blend.” Since the ingredients add up to 10 + 11 = 21, this new “blend” can be listed before maltodextrin, with all ingredients listed in descending order.

It now appears to unsuspecting consumers that the product actually contains more whey than maltodextrin (sugar). But we know that there is less of it! Whey comes out on top because of what it contains in the mixture. Therefore, by reading labels on natural products, you will already know how this grouping works.

Special offers

Organic food labels sometimes include special offers. You must understand exactly what this means.

When the label states, “Not a significant source of calories from fat,” the product must contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Be careful with deli meats. They may be cut so thin that one slice contains less than 2 grams of fat. but still provide a significant percentage of fat calories.

“Not a significant source of sugar” means that the amount of sugar on the label is less than one gram. Don't take this statement at face value. Some ingredients, such as maltodextrin, are not technically considered sugar but have the same effect. That's why it's so important to consider both the ingredient list and the nutritional value.

The table contains definitions of other special offers:

Low-fat foods (NoFat or FatFree)
Low fat	Contains less fat and calories than original or similar product
Low fat	Contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving.
Light (Lite)	Contains 1/3 the calories or 1/2 the fat per serving of the original or similar product.
Low calorie	Contains 1/3 of the calories of the original or similar product.
Calorie-free (No Calorie Or Calorie Free)	Contains less than 5 calories per serving
	Contains less than 0.5 g sugar per serving
No Preservatives	Does not contain preservatives (chemical and natural)
No additional preservatives (NoPreservativesAdded)	Does not contain chemicals that I add to preserve the product. Some of them may contain natural preservatives.
Low Salt (LowSodium)	Contains less than 140 mg. salt per serving
Salt-free (No Salt or Salt Free)	Contains less than 5 mg salt per serving
Baked, not fried (BakedNotFried)	Mainly used for potato chips, crackers or corn chips. This means that the product is usually sprayed with a little oil and then baked rather than simply fried in oil.

Warning signs

When reviewing the ingredient list, look for danger signs. This is not a complete list, but it will help you buy only high-quality, natural and environmentally friendly food products. Always look for these ingredients to be at the beginning (the main ones), in the middle and at the end of the list.

• Sugar is allowed at the end. The presence of sugar in the middle of the list is possible if there is enough fiber in the product. Of course, these rules may change when it comes to a post-workout shake.
• Salt is acceptable at the end of the list. Salt is important, but only in moderation.
• Any ingredient that you cannot pronounce or understand. Again, such substances do not necessarily have to be bad, but if you cannot answer how they will benefit you, it is better not to risk it.
• Excess vitamins and minerals. It is much healthier to get them from whole foods and a quality multivitamin than from a spray or food supplement.
• If the product is enriched with something. This has to be the biggest joke in the food industry. “Fortified” means that the product has been stripped of vital nutrients and instead has been supplemented with substances that were originally less abundant.
• “Fortified” natural product. Control your intake of vitamins and minerals through supplements and whole foods, rather than adding them to regular foods where you don't know their quality or quantity.
• Any food that contains more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per serving and less than 2 grams
• , in which half or more of the total calories come from fat (unless, of course, you are looking at the ethics of a bottle of olive oil)
• The presence of partially hydrogenated fats anywhere on the ingredient list (also known as trans fatty acids). If hydrogenated fats are at the bottom of the list, don't worry. In addition, if a product states that it is free of trans fatty acids, then it can be safely consumed, even if hydrogenated fats are listed as ingredients.

How to recognize the presence of sugar in natural products

It cannot be said unequivocally that sugar in organic products is harmful, however, it is important to be able to determine its amount. Below you will see some common names for sugar. Be careful with foods that list them at the top of the ingredient list, as they may contain too much sugar and cause unwanted blood sugar spikes:

• Sugarcane juice
• Custard concentrate
• Falernum (sweet liqueur)
• Fructose
• Glucose
• Jaggery
• Sugarcane juice
• Lactose
• Levulosa
• Malt
• Maltodextrin
• Maltose
• Marshmallow
• Misri (crystal sugar)
• Molasses (black treacle)
• Orshad (drink)
• Panocha (candy made from yellow sugar, milk and butter)
• Sorghum (cereal)
• Sucrose
• Sugar
• Syrup
• Turbinado (partially refined raw sugar)

Milk and its derivatives in natural products

If you are avoiding dairy products, the following items in the ingredient list are dairy products or their derivatives:

cream, cheese, butter, yogurt, koumiss, kefir, ghee, paneer, lactose, casein, whey, Rennet, Rennin

There are no fragrances in environmentally friendly products!

There is a lot of controversy regarding natural versus artificial flavors. It seems that many manufacturers are proud that organic products list "natural flavors" in the ingredient list, while consumers are willing to reject anything that even remotely resembles "artificial products." The reality is not what you think! So, what is the difference between natural and artificial flavors?

Natural and artificial flavors are defined by the Code of Federal Regulations. This means that specific laws govern what terms can be used in ingredient lists.

natural flavor contains essential oil or oleoresin extract, protein hydrolysate, distillate or any product of roasting, heat treatment or enzymatic decomposition that contains flavor components derived from spices, fruits or fruit juices, vegetables or vegetable juices, edible yeast, herbs, bark, buds , roots, leaves or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products or fermented products derived from them, the function of which is primarily to impart flavor rather than nutritional value to the food

Anything that does not meet this definition is considered artificial. Quite voluminous, isn't it? Is it possible to allow the existence of flavors in natural products?

Chemicals can be either naturally occurring or produced artificially. There is not the same difference as between wool and nylon, which are used to make clothes, however, these materials are different.

At the molecular level, natural and artificial flavors appear to be the same. By the way, there is an opinion that artificial flavors are safer because they are produced in a pure form. For natural flavors, the original product (such as an apple) must be broken down into its elements and filtered with chemicals to produce the flavoring substances. Therefore, such flavors may contain more impurities.

In this case, it is fair to note that natural and artificial flavors contain chemical additives used to improve the taste. If the label states that a product contains natural flavoring, this does not mean that the manufacturer added crushed apples - it means that a certain set of chemicals were isolated or extracted from them and artificially added to the product.

If you are not particularly interested in flavors, then pay less attention to whether they are artificial or natural, and look more at the order of the list of ingredients.

If you want natural foods, ones that you could prepare yourself, do not buy those that contain flavors other than natural spices.

And finally, take advantage of the advice called “shopping on the periphery.”

If you notice, most often in stores processed packaged foods are located in the center of the area. Fresh natural products, eggs, dairy and meat products are often located around the perimeter of the store. Therefore, stick to the walls, and then your chances of purchasing environmentally friendly and healthy food products increase.

Educate yourself about your food choices. This will help you acquire a wonderful one. As with everything else, strive for moderation. For example, if your weakness is fried corn chips, then you can eat them in moderation without going over your daily calorie limit. If the craving is too strong, then look for compromises and choose the baked version.

While in the West citizens were concerned about their health, in Russia they only shrugged their shoulders and laughed at the eccentricities of foreigners. Unfortunately, food stuffed with “chemicals” has now filled our shelves, so much so that even ordinary potatoes no longer seem harmless.

We go to the supermarket and... read, carefully read the composition of the product on the packaging. And still, after adding the item to the cart, . There is reason for such suspicion. Even if the food you buy does not contain emulsifiers or preservatives, it may still be unsafe. And this is not paranoia, but simple knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships.

Land question

Everyone knows what is done in the fields to increase yields and control insects. And even if you stop treating the soil and crops with chemicals, the consequences of such activities will be felt for a long time. Sometimes the earth needs a significant period of time to get rid of harmful substances. Remember, for example, the highly toxic DDT, commonly referred to as dust.

Its half-life in soil is about 20 years. In addition, the dust dissolves well and easily settles in the soil and at the bottom of reservoirs. When DDT enters the human or animal body, it accumulates in tissues and is not excreted. It poisons the body, increases the risk of cancer and, worst of all, is a threat to future offspring. But besides dust, many more chemicals have been invented. The conclusions are simple and sad.

Organic approach

More and more people are choosing bioorganic products for themselves and their families. What it is? The food is absolutely natural, from nature. Products labeled as organic or with the prefix "bio" or "eco" in their name are grown, processed, preserved and packaged according to specific, strict standards.

Manufacturers of bioorganic products have abandoned the use of synthetic chemicals, growth regulators, artificial food additives, GMOs and other harmful substances. This applies to various areas of organic agriculture: crop production, horticulture, livestock and poultry farming.

The soil and water on organic farms are maintained in an environmentally friendly condition, and animals grow and eat in healthy conditions. The fields are located away from highways, weeds are removed in early spring using a harrow, and the soil is fertilized with manure. To combat pests, for example, their natural enemies are used - birds and ladybugs, as well as ultrasound, various traps and the like, methods that do not affect the naturalness of the product. Animal food does not contain preservatives, appetite stimulants or growth stimulants. In addition, veterinarians on such farms do not use antibiotics. Mineralization and refining, and even more so any artificial additives, are prohibited in the production of products.

Bioorganic food contains 20-30% more nutrients than non-organic food. This affects not only the benefits of natural food, but also its taste. Compare at least “chemical” tomatoes with those grown in healthy conditions.

All this is especially important for children. As you know, a growing body copes worse with various chemicals, which are literally teeming with most modern products. But through proper nutrition, we provide the child with immunity and health for life. However, many adults have long been eating cereals and desserts made for children - it’s safer.

How much is pleasure?

Of course, bio-organic products are more expensive. But the point here is not at all the greed of producers. Firstly, maintaining an environmentally friendly farm is not so cheap and requires significant resources. In addition, eco-farms, for obvious reasons, are not so large-scale, and this, accordingly, affects their profits. And, given that the products do not contain preservatives, their shelf life and sale are limited. Caring for people’s health and nature really costs a pretty penny, but it’s all justified. The motto of companies producing eco-products could be described by the phrase “Clean food - clear conscience.”

Of course, you get to choose what to feed your family. You can justify that prices in stores are already high, but, perhaps, such an expense item as healthy eating should not be subject to savings.

Sign of purity

Nowadays, various commercial tricks are very often used, thanks to which many manufacturers are trying to prove that their products are natural and healthy. Alas, this is not always true. Even if the packaging says “bio”, “environmentally safe”, “no preservatives”, “fortified”, this does not mean that this is a bioorganic product. The same bio-yogurt has such a trusted prefix only because it contains beneficial lacto- and bifidobacteria. But this does not prevent manufacturers from adding dyes, flavors and preservatives to them, the use of which is strictly prohibited in organic products.

To distinguish a real eco-product from products masquerading as it, look for special markings on the labels.

True, there is still no single designation for organics in the world community. All countries celebrate the environmental friendliness of products differently.

Basically, products from the USA come with the organic label, and European ones with the bio label. There are also more original ones: ORGANIC - in England, BIOLOGISCH or OEKOLOGISCH - in Germany (they also put the BIO label there, as in Switzerland), ISSUE D'AGRICULTURE BIOLOGIQUE - in France, ECO - in the Netherlands, Australian Certified Organic - in Australia , USDA Organic - in the USA, and in Russia they write “organic”, “bio”, “eco”.

Getting the opportunity to put a special mark on products confirming its purity is not so easy. Need a certificate. Different countries have different organizations involved in such certification, and each has its own graphic designation. Therefore, we advise you to train your memory and remember the most common icons. Then you will be sure that you are holding an environmentally friendly product in your hands.