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Certified organic? (Photo credit: Fotolia)

“There aren’t any regulations to stop companies from labeling a product that contains dozens of synthetic ingredients with misleading words like “nature” and “health.” But, there is one exception to this rule: A label reading “certified organic” can’t claim this status if it hasn’t been properly certified. Here’s what you need to know about certified organic food.” (holykaw.alltop.com)

Hat tip to Guy Kawasaki for sharing this article forward on Twitter. Much helpful information to aid you in deciphering the increasingly tangled web around organic food production and retail. As for the question of reliability and enforcement, this article doesn’t offer too much assurance that we can 100% trust what we see in advertising or read on packaging. “Anyone who knowingly sells or labels a product “organic” that is not produced and handled in accordance with these regulationscan face a civil penalty of up to $10,000.” But is this a steep enough penalty to discourage fraud?

Read the full article at HowStuffWorks.com.

[This post was originally published as “Is USDA certified organic food safer than regular food?” on the Emmet Carter green design blog.]

Chef Dan Barber’s inspirational presentation at TED Talks 2010 tackles a complicated dilemma facing chefs, foodies and fisherman today: is there a sustainable way to keep fish on the menu? His delivery and observations are enjoyable, and his conclusions are timely and wise:

“How can we create conditions that enable every community to feed itself? To do that, dont look at the agribusiness model for the future… Its high on capital, chemistry and machines. And its never produced anything really good to eat. Instead lets look to the ecological model, thats the one that relies on two billion years of on-the-job experience. Look to… farms that restore instead of deplete, farms that farm extensively instead of just intensively, farmers that are not just producers but experts in relationships because they are the ones that are experts in flavor too…” ~ Dan Barber

[This post was originally published as “How I fell in love with a fish” on the Emmet Carter green design blog.]

Related articles

• Dan Barber Takes a Radically Holistic Approach to Food and Farming With ‘The Third Plate’ (civileats.com)
• Chef Dan Barber Wants to Change the Way Americans Eat and Grow Food (wnyc.org)
• How I fell in love with a fish: Dan Barber on TED.com (ted.com)

20 great foods you aren’t – but should be – eating. (Credit: The Times)

It’s 2010, the year to get healthy, right? Or did you already let your resolutions slip? Amanda Ursell’s 20 great foods you aren’t eating introduces “easy-to-buy super foods [that] could help you to live a healthier, flat-bellied and longer life…”

What are you waiting for?

Here’s a punch list of good-stuff-to-eat: almonds, apples, baked beans, chilies, dark chocolate, frozen berries, frozen peas, grapefruit, green tea, new potatoes, oats, oily fish, olives, parsley, poached eggs, pomegranates, prunes, tomatoes, turmeric and whole wheat pasta.

But how to eat all these good ingredients? You’ll find links to healthy recipes, so there’s no excuse to eat microwave dinners and fast food! Good luck.