The National Organic Program
The National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. The NOP also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards.
- From USDA,
U.S. Department of Agriculture
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The Natural Laundry Detergent
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100% Organic (with the USDA Seal)- products must contain all organic ingredients.
USDA Certified Organic- products contain 95% or more organic ingredients.
Made with organic ingredients- contains 70% - 95% or more organic ingredients.
Is It Really Organic?
Wow! Did you ever find yourself standing in the aisle of your local grocery store or health food store asking yourself - are all of these products really Organic? The answer is - probably not! Confusion is understandable when the terms 'organic' and 'all natural' are a bit foggy and at the very least ambiguous. It doesn't help that the USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture) caved to special interest groups and modified the standards of the USDA Seal. Still, this is the best we have, and for now, it is the benchmark for identifying truly organic products.
100% Organic (with the USDA Seal) - products must contain all organic ingredients.
- USDA Certified Organic - products contain 95% or more organic ingredients.
- Made with organic ingredients - contains 70% - 95% or more organic ingredients.
- All Natural - your guess is as good as mine! The term 'all natural' is not regulated. This means that any company can call their product natural, no matter what it contains.
More Info...
The bottom line is READ THE LABEL! It is not always feasible or even necessary for all of your products to be 100% organic. They don't, however, need to contain a cocktail of chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Whether you are purchasing food, personal care products,or household cleaners - be practical and buy those that contain the least amount of synthetics and in the smallest quantity (those listed last on the label). Never purchase products that have ingredients with proven toxicity or appear on the MSDS (materials safety and data sheet) as having proven to be a human health hazard. There are still allot of them on the market. And by the way, makers of household cleaners are NOT required to disclose their ingredients!
Eco-Friendly Products For The Whole Family
The skin is the largest organ of the body and 60% of what is put on it is absorbed!
We apply, inhale and ingest approximately 21 chemicals each day, and less than 20% have ever been tested for long term effects, so isn't it time to try a natural chemical free and environmentally friendly product?
Meadow Green Farms is proud to offer a line of eco-friendly, highly effective, truly natural products for the whole family.
All of our products are pleasant to use, quickly biodegrade in the environment, contain NO toxic chemicals of any kind, work great and are safe to use around the entire family. Even our pet and equine shampoos are hypoallergenic and contain NO chemicals to irritate your pet's sensitive skin.
Each castile based product is made from food grade ingredients, and we are currently applying for organic certification.
The Dirty Truth About Cleaning Products
Do you dread cleaning your house or doing laundry because the fumes from the cleaners and the perfume in the laundry products give you a headache? Do you feel like you need to wear a 'haz-mat suit' every time you get out all of those potent scrubbing cleansers?
I can't say that I blame you. Read on for a few interesting facts. More Info...
- There are approximately 4.5 billion known chemicals, of which 50,000 are commercially distributed.
- According to the National Research Council, no toxic information is available for more than 80% of the chemicals in everyday use.
- Only 1% of toxins are required to be listed on labels. That's because products claim 'to clean' not 'be safe'.
- 91% of the population applies 300 million pounds of chemicals annually, often indoors. City dwellers use more chemicals per acre than farmers.
- A scientific paper at the "Indoor Air Conference" in Toronto stated "because of household cleaners, housewives have a 55% higher risk of contracting cancer."
- Dishwashing detergents are labeled 'harmful if swallowed'. Many contain naphtha. diethanolsamine and/or chlorophenylphenol.
Every time you wash your dishes, some residue is left on them and can accumulate with each washing. Why would you want harmful chemicals on the plates you eat off of?
Approximately one million poisonings a year are due to household cleaner ingestion. Some are fatal. The #1 cause of household poisoning is dish detergent,
- Household laundry detergents often contain a variety of synthetic chemicals such as phosphorous, enzymes, ammonia, naphthalene, phenol, sodium nitilotriacetate and countless others. The linens and clothes that are next to your body 24/7 contain a residue from many of these chemicals which can cause rashes, itching, allergies and sinus problems. The dyes and perfumes in laundry soap and fabric softeners may contain phylates which can also irritate the skin and eyes. Just imagine how sensitive a baby's skin is, and how irritating all of this can be.
The run off from the countless loads of wash we all do each year has to go somewhere, and most of these chemicals stay in the environment longer than you think!
- Indoor air quality in the home has been found to have five times higher toxic chemical concentrations than outdoor air. This includes rural areas.
Illnesses such as allergies, asthma, ear infections, learning disabilities and respiratory difficulties can result.
Try opening a window next time you get a headache!
- The use and misuse of chemicals in the home and workplace cost millions of dollars each year in missed work, school and repeated visits to the doctor. The long term and synergistic effect of all of these chemicals is still not known. The tragic effect on our environment is sad but preventable. There are MANY safe, healthy, effective and enjoyable alternatives to commercial household cleaners.They are becoming less expensive and more readily available everyday.
- If you have ANY doubt about the toxicity of commercial cleaners - check out the 'Household Products Database'. It is part of the Specialized Information Services of the National Library of Medicine. Just go to http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov and click on the category of the product you are interested in.
