# My Box Lunch Has "Select Organic Ingredients"! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 21, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462 "2021-04-21T16:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/21 "2021-04-21T18:16:37Z")
My favorite food labeling BS is “gluten free” in something that never had gluten in it to begin with. Too many people do not even know what gluten is, to them it is just some ingredient that the processors shouldn’t be adding to food. Gluten is just a protein part of a cereal grain. Usually in the sprouting part of that cereal grain. I understand how sensitive some people are to gluten, but the labeling of foods that do not have any cereal grains in them at all is just marketing, and they are marketing it like “we didn’t add any of that gluten poison stuff.” I am happy to know that my eggs are gluten free, my cheese is gluten free, my unpeeled shrimp is gluten free, but common… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/22 "2021-04-21T18:17:58Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > We uh may be talking past one another here. Cal’s appears to be operating under the belief that “organic” lacks any meaning outside of chemistry, and is applying the chemistry meaning to a context where it’s wildly inappropriate to do so. I believe that was your original point, and I was agreeing with you, with a side of teasing involved. The teasing was directed at Cal’s inappropriate use of the chemistry definition. That makes more sense, the way you quoted things, it certainly appeared as though your ridicule was directed at me. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/23 "2021-04-21T18:19:09Z")
My apologies for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/24 "2021-04-21T18:19:18Z")
Ammonium chloride is added to some foods, and is used to bake with too. Ammonia cookies are a thing, as is salmiak licorice. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/25 "2021-04-21T18:21:31Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > My favorite food labeling BS is “gluten free” in something that never had gluten in it to begin with. Too many people do not even know what gluten is, to them it is just some ingredient that the processors shouldn’t be adding to food. On the one hand, I agree–especially with single-ingredient foods like eggs. On the other hand, gluten does sometimes show up in unexpected places (e.g., [pickles, hot dogs, and bouillon cubes](https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/0313/surprising-products-that-contain-gluten.aspx)), so the label on packaged foods can make sense. On the third hand, it’s often used as a really chintzy way to make people think that a food is healthy. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/26 "2021-04-21T19:01:30Z")
I didn’t say they are used by the body differently. I said it’s easier to avoid eating too much sugar if you try to avoid foods that add sugar, and then not worry too much about naturally occurring sugars. The labels that let you know which foods have added sugars tend to beneficial to avoid, if sugar is an issue. It’s a heuristic, not an exact process. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/27 "2021-04-21T23:04:08Z")
At least if this is in the USA (I don’t know about elsewhere, but there may be similar requirements), what you’re looking at language meant to meet specific legally-required terminology. They want to use the word ‘organic’ on the label, but the product as a whole is made up of less than 70% USDA certified organically grown ingredients; so they can’t either just use the word by itself, or say that it’s “made with” organic ingredients. They have to say that only some of the ingredients are organic. > **[Understanding the USDA Organic Label](https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/22/understanding-usda-organic-label)** > > Amidst nutrition facts, ingredient lists, and dietary claims on food packages, “organic” might appear as one more piece of information to decipher when shopping for products.  Understanding what the organic label means can help shoppers make... > There are four distinct labeling categories for organic products – 100 percent organic, organic, “made with” organic ingredients, and specific organic ingredients. > > In the “100 Percent Organic” category, products must be made up of 100 percent certified organic ingredients. The label must include the name of the certifying agent and may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the 100 percent organic claim. > > In the “Organic” category, the product and ingredients must be certified organic, except where specified on [National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances](https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Allowed-Prohibited%20Substances.pdf). Non-organic ingredients allowed per the National List may be used, but no more than five percent of the combined total ingredients may contain non-organic content. Additionally, the label must include the name of the certifying agent, and may include the USDA Organic Seal and/or the organic claim. > > For multi-ingredient products in the “made with” organic category, at least 70 percent of the product must be certified organic ingredients. The organic seal cannot be used on the product, and the final product cannot be represented as organic – only up to three ingredients or ingredient categories can be represented as organic. Any remaining ingredients are not required to be organically produced but must be produced without excluded methods (genetic engineering). All non-agricultural products must be allowed on the National List. For example, processed organic foods may contain some approved non-agricultural ingredients, like enzymes in yogurt, pectin in fruit jams, or baking soda in baked goods. > > Multi-ingredient products with less than 70 percent certified organic content would fall under the “specific organic ingredients,” and don’t need to be certified. These products cannot display the USDA Organic Seal or use the word organic on the principal display panel. They can list certified organic ingredients in the ingredient list and the percentage of organic ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/28 "2021-04-21T23:43:13Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > There aren’t really all that many inorganic things you can eat and obtain some nutrition from … sodium chloride and potassium chloride … I don’t think I’d trust anything else inorganic. You might want to include inorganics like H20 and O2 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/29 "2021-04-22T00:38:54Z")
This reminds me of the time I saw someone at one of those open air holiday craft fairs in NYC claiming that they were selling “organic baby clothes.” Nice try vendor, any human baby can wear them because they’re all organic. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/30 "2021-04-22T01:06:50Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > This reminds me of the time I saw someone at one of those open air holiday craft fairs in NYC claiming that they were selling “organic baby clothes.” I assume the point is that they’ll melt if they’re put on baby dolls. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462/31 "2021-04-22T14:10:02Z")
Baby clothes made of organically-grown cotton are [a big deal](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaklich/2019/06/27/organic-baby-clothes-ten-baby-brands-that-are-stylish-and-safe/?sh=25c8cec2351c) in some markets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-box-lunch-has-select-organic-ingredients/940462.md?page=1)