organic food
Meaning of organic food: Organic food is grown and processed under defined regulatory standards that restrict synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and similar inputs used in conventional agriculture.
Definition of organic food
Organic food is food grown, raised, and processed according to a defined set of agricultural standards that generally restrict the use of synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and growth promoting drugs. The specific rules governing what may be labeled organic are set by regulatory bodies and vary somewhat between countries.
In the United States, the Department of Agriculture establishes and enforces national standards covering how organic crops and livestock must be grown, handled, and processed, and certified producers are inspected to confirm compliance before a product can carry an official organic label.
Organic farming methods emphasize practices such as crop rotation and biological pest control in place of many synthetic inputs used in conventional agriculture, and interest in organic food often relates to questions about environmental practices, animal welfare, and pesticide exposure, topics that continue to be studied from multiple angles.
Used in a sentence
The dietitian discussed organic food options as part of a broader conversation about the patient's diet.
Good to know
Organic labeling reflects a defined set of agricultural production standards rather than a specific nutritional or safety claim about the food itself, a distinction sometimes lost in general use of the term.