Since the U.S. Department of Agriculture put into place the long-awaited National Organic Program, American consumers have finally had a set of nationwide standards for organic foods. But new standards raise new questions. What is organic food? What's the relationship between organic food and food labeled with terms like
all-natural
,
free-range
hormone-free
,and
locally grown
? Are
organic
made with organic
, and
100% organic
foods different? And most importantly, is organic food better for me and my family? This handy guide provides a thorough but nontechnical introduction to organic food. Some topics of special interest include product labeling, health and nutrition, environmental quality, and pricing.