…”Made with Certified Organic Corn”, so says the package.
I thought I was fooled again by a big corporation, trying to pull my leg, when I came home with this rather expensive package of tortilla chips – 9 oz bag cost $3.99.
Holy Tortilla Batman!
But if the price wasn’t bad enough, (and the amount of chips in the bag occupied only about 20% of the bag!), the bag said, it was made with “Certified Organic Corn” but I didn’t see the USDA circle on the bag anywhere.
So, suspecting, something fishy, I read the bag a little more carefully, as I munched on the golden crunchy chips that actually tasted like, well, corn!
The ingredients for this Natural Tortilla Chips are: Whole Organic Yellow Corn, Expeller-Pressed sunflower Oil, and Sea Salt. That’s all!
Furthermore, the bag states,
These natural TOSTITOS’ brand Tortilla Chips begin with corn grown by farmers that meet the strictest standards for organic agriculture. From the way the corn is grown and harvested to the way it’s cooked and packaged, we have taken extra care to make sure that all the ingredients meet our high quality standards. They’ve even been certified “made with organic corn” by Oregon Tilth!”
OK. That sounds great but what is Oregon Tilth? What is the difference between Oregon Tilth standards and USDA standards? According to its website,
Prior to 2002, organic certifiers each had their own standards that they used when certifying organic produce and products. The standards were similar, but they were each different and were owned by the certifier. In 2002 the USDA National Organic Program took effect, and the NOP Final Rule became the one standard used for certifying organic products in the US. Since that time, when you pick up a product labeled organic you know that it was certified to the same standard as all other organic products, regardless of who certified it.
So does this mean that we’ll see more than one organization certifying oragnic products? Does that mean I have to learn to recognize more than just the USDA symbol?
As I munch on this golden crunchy chips that really really do taste like corn, I am more confused than ever.
