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The first thing to remember is that any product now sold in the United States that claims to be "organic" must meet the criteria of the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP), set forth in the OFPA. Although the USDA seal is not required, any organic product must include the name and address of a certifying agency accredited by the USDA.6 In other words, if it says "organic," it has to meet the government standards, and it will most likely display the seal.

The second thing that the well-informed organic shopper should know is that all organic foods are not created equal. Depending on the percentage of organic ingredients a product contains, it falls into one of four categories - only two of which are eligible for official recognition on the Principal Display Panel (PDP), meaning the front of the jar, can, bag, or box.

We'll use salsa as an example and start with the top of the line. The PDP will look like this: The "organic label" with a percentage included may seem self-explanatory, but remember: whether it's 100 percent organic or just organic, the seal itself will look the same. The difference between the product labeled "organic" and one that includes a percentage is a matter of a few percentage points of ingredients.

With the "100% organic" label, every ingredient in the box, can, or jar must be grown organically, except for the salt and water (which are not certifiable). As with all food products sold in the United States, the water must conform to the federal safe drinking water standards. Unlike conventional products, the salt in organic products cannot contain a flowing agent. In addition, none of the additive that keeps salt from getting lumpy and, incidentally, the inspiration for Morton Salt's girl with the umbrella - "When it rains, it pours. "ingredients can be irradiated, contain genetically engineered organisms (GEOs), or be grown with sewage sludge fertilizer - the so-called big three.

A product labeled "organic" means that at least 95 percent of its ingredients (either by weight or by volume) must be organic. To meet this criterion is to be as close to perfect as is vegetably possible. For example, during the process of making salsa, let's say the supply of organic vinegar becomes dangerously low and therefore unavailable. A letter is placed on file from the vinegar source stating that it cannot supply the salsa maker with organic vinegar, and conventional vinegar enters the salsa.7 If the conventional ingredient is not affected by the big three, makes up less than 5 percent of the total ingredients, and is clearly listed in the ingredient panel, the product may be certified "organic."

The third category of organically labeled foods will be less visible because these products are not allowed to use the word organic as a description of the product. Even though it isn't eligible for a USDA seal or a certifier's logo, the product may include the words "made with organic ingredients" and list up to three organic ingredients on the PDP. The "made with . . ." rating requires that at least 70 percent of the ingredients be grown, shipped, and packaged according to organic standards, and the big three rules still apply, even in the remaining 30 percent of nonorganic ingredients.

The last type of organic product bears no seal or certifier's logo and contains less than 70 percent organic ingredients. Organic ingredients can be listed on the back panel, but all references to the organic content of the product are prohibited on the PDP in order to "assure that these statements are not displayed in such a manner as to misrepresent the actual organic composition of the product."8 In this last category, the big three are allowed in the non organic ingredients. Because it makes little sense for a manufacturer to pay for organic ingredients without being able to advertise them, chances are you won't see many of these products unless organic labeling standards change to meet industry demands.