There are various products available in the market with different labels such as GMO, non GMO, organic, etc. Therefore, it is important to know the correct meaning of each of these words. GMO refers to a genetically modified organism. Non GMO refers to an organism or a product made without the use of genetic engineering or GMO ingredients. Organic means related or derived purely from organic materials. Non GMO and organic differentiation is also very important since consumers are often confused about these two words. The key difference between non GMO and organic is that non GMO is a term which represents organisms or products made without the use of genetic engineering technology or any GMO ingredients while organic represents the product made using only organic materials of plants and animals without incorporating any chemical inputs.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Non GMO
3. What is Organic
4. Side by Side Comparison – Non GMO vs Organic
5. Summary
What does Non GMO Mean?
GMOs are a popular and interesting topic among many consumers. However, due to the constraints in tracing GMO foods and their negative impacts on human health and the environment, there is a growing fear to use GMOs. Therefore, people are keen on the products with the label ‘non GMO’. Non GMO refers to an organism or a product made without the help of genetic engineering technique. It simply tells that the organism or the product is free from an artificially manipulated genome or ingredients made using genetic engineering. Thus, it’s a verification symbol for the product. It certifies that the product or the organism is not genetically modified by introducing any foreign genetic material inside labs.
Non GMO is not always similar to organic. Non GMO can be an organic product. It can also be a result of non organic farming where agriculture is practiced with recommended levels of chemical additives such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, growth hormones, antibiotics, insecticides, nematicides etc. Hence, non GMO products can be made from normal agriculture. However, it should not contain any GMO materials including GMO seeds. The certification of non GMO should be obtained by undergoing certain regulations and standards recommended by a particular authority.
Figure 01: A Non GMO Product
What does Organic Mean?
The word ‘organic’ indicates that the product or the content is derived mainly from organic materials. If the label is included 100% organic, it implies that the product is pure without any chemical contamination and it is made using only organic materials derived from plants and animals. This word can be used to represent agriculture, soil, food, herbs, etc. Organic agriculture is a form of agriculture which is done using organic inputs without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, sludge, industrial waste water, etc. Organic food is a food product resulted from organic agriculture and processed according to organic standards. Organic soil is rich with decaying plant, animal residues, soil organisms.
The certification of organic should be taken by following the guidelines described under organic certification process for growing, processing, storing, packing, shipping, etc. When developing an organic product, the producer should strictly avoid the use of chemical inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc. and chemical mixed soil such as sludge. Any chemical methods should also not be used for food preservation. When storing organically produced foods, physical separation from non organic products and avoidance of contamination with chemicals are also important.
Figure 2: An Organic Product
What is the difference between Non GMO and Organic?
Non GMO vs Organic |
|
| Non GMO implies that no genetically modified materials are included into the product or that the organism is not genetically modified using genetic engineering. | Organic implies that the product is a result of organic farming without the use of chemical additives. |
| Simple Meaning | |
| Non GMO simply means GMO free | Organic simply means related or derived from organic materials. |
| Growing Methods | |
| Non GMO foods can be grown using organic methods or non organic methods. | Organic foods are grown without the chemical contamination and involvement. |
| Relationship between non GMO and Organic | |
| Non GMO can be organic or non organic. | Organic is always non GMO. |
Summary – Non GMO vs Organic
The non GMO simply describes a product made without manipulating the genetic material through genetic engineering. Non GMO products can be a result of organic or non organic farming. Organic means related or derived only from organic matter of plants and animals. Organic farming refers to farming processes carried out without use of chemical inputs or additives such as fertilizers, pesticides, chemical mixed soil, etc. The foods resulted from organic farming are organic foods. All organic products are non GMOs, but not all non GMO products are organic. This is the main difference between non-GMO and organic. Both non GMO and organic products are safe to use since there is no foreign gene or genes incorporated. Products with these labels guarantee that they have followed certain standards.
References:
1. Freedman, David H. “The Truth about Genetically Modified Food.” Scientific American. N.p., 08 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2017
2. “Consumer confidence in organic products may be at risk as more GMO foods are unleashed.” NaturalNews. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017
3. “Organic Foods Provide More than Health Benefits.” NaturalNews. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2017
Image Courtesy:
1. “Pochoclo Non-GMO (no transgénico)” by Sebastian Bassi (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Suja Essentials Organic Fruit and Vegetable Juices” by Mike Mozart (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr