Allowed & Prohibited Substances

Organic certification verifies that products meet all requirements in the USDA organic regulations from farm to market. 

The USDA organic regulations specify production and processing requirements (such as conserving natural resources and preventing commingling with non-organic products). They also specify which substances (such as animal drugs) are allowed and prohibited.

For example, the use of most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, growth hormones, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering (genetically modified organisms or GMOs) are prohibited.