There are many requirements that the USDA has in place when it comes to organic foods. Under these guidelines products have to be grown a certain way in order for them to get the right certification. It is illegal to label foods as organic in nature without that certification in place. The guidelines are quite strict and the cover many areas including how the food is grown, how it is processed, and all of the handling throughout those processes.
This is all in place because the term organic can be interpreted many different ways. By clarifying them the way the food industry is held to certain standards that they must abide by. The USDA continues to …

Background
On October 21, 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Organic Program (NOP) standards for food labeled organic went into effect. This standard applies to food grown in the United States or imported from other countries.
When you buy food labeled “organic,” you can be sure that it was produced using the strictest organic production and handling standards in the world and certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
The National Organic Standards offer a national definition for the term organic, providing clear and consistent labeling requirements for use of the word. They detail the methods, practices, and substances that can be used in producing and handling organic crops. The standards establish clear criteria for organic labeling, …