To be a smart consumer of safe and healthy food, house hold items and body care products can be a real challenge.  It is important to know what we are putting in and on our bodies. When it comes to such a confusing topic, how do we stay clear and knowledgable?
 One of the most vital things you will want to look at is labels. When it comes to produce and packaged products there are a few labels you are most likely to see. When your product says Certified Organic, that means it is certified by the USDA to be grown or raised without chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, or genitacaly modified organisms. It also is means that 95% of the ingredients are organic. Look for the USDA certified organic seal! When you see a label that says made with organic ingredients this is also certified by the USDA and must contain atleast 70% organic materials. On of the labels you will want to look out for is the natural label. This basically means nothing. There are no legal standards. The FDA allows products that include highly refined and adulterated ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup to qualify as natural.
 Before you purchase products like eggs and dairy you will want to pay attention to the labels.  The USDA will certify eggs, and dairy products that are hormone free, RGH free, or BST free., which means the animals were not given hormones. The USDA will also certify Antiobiotic free, or process verified, this means that the animals were not given any antiobiotics as a preventitive measure only for a real illness. When looking at meat there is a seperate label system.  The only label certified by the USDA is free range for poultry, and this indicates that the bird had outdoor access atleast once a day.
  When it comes to body-care products not only do you want to look at the labels, but also the ingredients. When looking at the list of ingredients they will be listed in order by the amount in that product, starting with the most and
ending with the least. The rule I like to follow is you should be able to read and say atleast most of the ingredients.
 This column only touches on the basics. So one of the best things you can do to be a smart consumer is to do your own research. A great book to reference is Easy Green Living, by Renee Loux. Please take the time to look up companies, farms and ingredients. Find out what you can before you even get to the store. In the second part of this article we will talk about what you can do to bee a smart consumer when in the store. Until then good luck, you are well on your way to being a healthy and smart consumer.

Written for The Healthy Hippie Magazine  July/August 2009 issue

Photos from Google images

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