Now more than ever, people are becoming more informed about the foods they eat and their role in their health. For this reason, companies are coming up with food labels such as vegan, non-GMO, organic, gluten-free, and many others. With all these labels, it can be challenging to establish what they mean. Restaurants are also focused on making healthy foods for all kinds of diets.

For instance, if you’re looking for an organic restaurant to dine in, Organic Restaurants can help you find one at the click of a button. We’re all about helping you eat organic foods. If you want to learn the difference between non-GMO, organic, and natural food, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve created a well-organized breakdown of the differences to help you navigate all the supermarket labels and make informed choices about what you eat.

What is Non-GMO Food?

To understand non-GMO, we must understand what GMOs are. A genetically modified organism or GMO is an organism, microorganism, animal, or plant whose genetic makeup has been modified in a lab using various engineering methods. That means GMOs don’t occur in nature and are designed to resist pests through pesticides and herbicides.

Non-GMO foods generally exclude GMO ingredients. That means it’s still grown using the conventional food production method, and the only thing missing is GMO ingredients.

What is Organic Food?

Organic foods are foods grown without artificial fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Organic dairy, eggs, and meat products are obtained from animals fed on natural feeds and not injected with hormones and antibiotics. In the U.S.a food product must be approved by the USDA Organic, which sets strict requirements to achieve organic status. Organic products are inherently non-GMO. In fact, the non-organic food product is handled or grown using genetically modified organisms.

What is Natural Food?

Natural foods are foods free of artificial synthetic ingredients or additives. These foods also undergo minimal processing, meaning they are eaten as they are. For instance, if you plant your tomatoes in the garden and let them grow naturally, you will consume natural foods when you harvest and cook them.

Critical Differences Between Non-GMO and Organic Foods

You’ve heard experts say that you’re not entirely safe when you eat non-GMO foods. This is because non-GMO products don’t have enough standards as organic and natural products. Therefore, they can still contain harmful ingredients like antibiotics, pesticides, and more. 

Despite consumer apprehension towards GMO food products, there’s no conclusive evidence that GMOs are more harmful to human health than traditionally grown food sources. However, it’s worth mentioning that non-GMO foods don’t do well for the environment as organic products. That’s why many organizations recommend growing organic or natural foods to protect the environment.

Should You Choose Non-GMO or Organic?

There’s no guarantee that you will consume 100% non-GMO ingredients when you choose non-GMO foods. However, you can be sure you’re safe when you go organic. Organic foods do not contain synthetic ingredients and pesticides. Note that none adds more nutritional value than the other. You may want to consider other factors, such as high fiber and low sugar content, when choosing between the two.

Going all Organic? We can help!

Are you looking to start your organic food journey but unsure where to dine in your area? OrganicRestaurants has a solution for you. We can help connect you to the right organic restaurants and provide new valuable and helpful information that will help promote your general wellness. Contact us today for more information.