USDA Organic vs. "Therapeutic-Grade" Essential Oils

Every once in a while I'll get an e-mail asking which brand of essential oils we use in our products and if they're "therapeutic-grade." Because we're a USDA certified organic manufacturer, we have to use (and choose to) use oils that are not just "therapeutic-grade" but USDA certified organic, which is actually a much higher standard.

A higher standard? Even than Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade? How can this be? 

Let me explain...

Now, before anyone gets upset: I'm not saying or implying that any brand is "bad" or "unpure" or unethical. The point of this article is to state that as a standard, USDA certification is a stronger set of regulations than "therapeutic-grade." "Therapeutic-grade" is not a published set of regulations that are independently inspected and verified. It's a standard created internally by a company and is basically whatever a company says it is. It's more of a trademark term than a certification.


I don't sell or tout any one particular brand of essential oils; there are many great options out there. BUT when you choose certified organic you can be sure that not only are you choosing the highest standard, but not contributing to the use of synthetic herbicides like roundup (which is becoming persistent in our environment and increases cancer risk) pesticides (like neonicotinoids that are killing bees).

8 Detoxifying Foods

We talk a lot about chemicals to avoid and their side effects, but the bottom line is, at some point in our lives we've all been exposed to toxins. So, what can we do when we've already been exposed to toxins like aluminum compounds and phthalates? Today, here are eight foods that can help give your body a boost in eliminating harmful compounds.

Brazil Nuts

Are a rich source of selenium, known to help the body rid itself of mercury and other heavy metals.

photo credit: Márton Divényi via photopin cc

Beets

Have been found to protect the liver from certain toxins. Betalain, a compound in beets has been found to help reduce toxicity associated with gamma radiation.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc

Ginger

Has been found to boost metabolism and help the body flush out toxins.

photo credit: Scot Nelson via photopin cc

Artichokes

contain silymarin, an antioxidant that supports the liver in detoxification, and cynarin, an acid that helps the liver break down fats efficiently.

photo credit: spychic via photopin cc

Onions

Onions (especially raw) contain sulfur-containing amino acids that help support the liver in detoxification.

photo credit: Alexandre Dulaunoy via photopin cc

Cilantro

contains an enzyme that helps to chelate heavy metals from the system.

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Apples

contain pectin, a type of fiber that can help remove certain food preservatives as well as metals from the system.

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Garlic

contains a compound called allicin, which has been found to be a powerful detoxifier, removing levels of lead from the body.

photo credit: Pero Kvrzica via photopin cc

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/25/15-detox-foods_n_2950173.html
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/garlic-beats-drug-detoxifying-lead-safely-body-1

[For educational purposes only. If you have a serious toxicity, please visit a healthcare professional immediately.]

Can USDA Organic Be Trusted?

Over on the Facebook page of a (very) popular natural/organic food website, link to an article was posted with the title "USDA Clips Wings of Misleading Organic Marketers."

Comments ensued on the article wondering "Can we trust USDA Organic?"

The story: The Cornucopia Institue has been, for a couple years, working with the USDA National Organic Program, to get companies to not use the name "organic" in their name of their packaging unless the product contains enough organic content to bear the organic seal, not just those that are in the "made with organic" category (70% plus.) The USDA made an internal ruling to review these cases and be more strict about the use of the word "organic" in product names.

Just reading the title it sounds like there's a rampant problem with organic fraud. (It didn't help that the image the link pulled up was the organic seal.) Many people were questioning the validity of the USDA Organic seal, so, I wanted to take a moment to clear up a couple common misconceptions about organic.

Misconception: The USDA is in cahoots with corporations like Monsanto, thus USDA Organic can't be trusted.

The NOP (National Organic Program) is one very small office inside the USDA. It doesn't work with or answer to any other offices within the USDA. Because the regulations are set forth by the independent council of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the NOP doesn't answer to anyone else inside the USDA, just the NOSB. NOP regulations are very specific, so there is little room for misinterpretation, corruption, or influence. If a company breaks the rules, they're fined and/or stripped of their certification. Distrust of the (general offices of the) USDA to protect our food supply from GMOs and harmful pesticides would be the exact reason to choose organic.

Misconception: Oregon Tilth Organic, etc, is better than USDA Organic

Oregon Tilth, QAI, etc are all third-party certifiers under the National Organic Program. The USDA doesn't actually go out and inspect farms or organic processing facilities--that's the job of the third-party certifiers. Every USDA certified organic operation must have third-party certification. So, USDA organic and Oregon Tilth Organic are one and the same. Oregon Tilth answers to the USDA NOP. It's all the same set of regulations.

That said, always look for the third-party certifier to verify that the company is truly USDA Organic and not just using the seal. If there is a question and you suspect organic fraud, you can always look up a company in the NOP database: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/nop/

The Bottom Line

In any industry there's fraud. However, most of the fraud within the organic community comes from overseas operations that are trying to export raw materials in to the US. They're usually caught before the ingredients enter the country. Of course, it always helps to buy your organic products from sources you trust, and companies that have demonstrated their dedication to organic standards.