Organic, what exactly is that?

Step into any supermarket, and you're bombarded with the terms 'organic' and 'biological', but what do they really tell us?

Organic is a food production method striving to be as natural as possible. That means no artificial fertilisers, no chemical pesticides, no genetically modified organisms, and no additions of chemical colourings, flavourings, or scents – only E-numbers of natural origin are permitted. 

This means:

• Only Natural Pesticides: Like onion oil against carrot flies, chickens for weed control or ladybirds against aphids, leading to fewer or no chemical pesticide residues on organic food. And also, no use of artificial fertilizers. 

• Real Ingredients: Forget lemon concentrate; we're talking freshly squeezed organic lemon in your lemon juice bottle. No pasta sauce from tomato puree, water, and herb extracts, but real, organic tomatoes and herbs like oregano and parsley. Basically, you're getting the quality you pay for.

• GMO-free: GM what? No genetically modified organisms here.

• More Nutrients: Organic crops (grains, fruits, vegetables) boast 20 to 40 percent more antioxidants, and organic products often have higher levels of vitamin C and omega-3 fats.

• Less Processed: Imagine coconut milk without guar or xanthan gum and other odd thickeners. And canned beans seasoned with real sea salt instead of synthetic. So, if unprocessed eating is your goal, go organic.

• Crop rotation: Farmers switch up the crops they plant in a field over time. This helps keep the soil healthy, wards off pests and diseases, and boosts overall crop yield.

• Natural E-Numbers: Of the over 350 E-numbers out there, only 50 are allowed. And only if they're essential for the product and natural, like Vitamin C (E300) used as an antioxidant to keep the product fresh longer.

That's it? Nope. There's a 100-page list of standards that organic products must adhere to. If you're keen to read it, here's where you need to go. But basically it comes down to this: opting for organic means choosing a sector that cares for the environment, climate, biodiversity, animals, and people.