Organic food is part of the natural food universe. Natural foods are those that are minimally processed, environmentally friendly and free of artificial ingredients, though they can be produced with fertilizers and hormones, or be genetically modified.
No strict government code governs the use of the term “natural” but, as of 2002, the USDA established a set of national standards defining the use of the term “organic” with respect to food products grown both in the U.S. and abroad. According to the standard, to be considered organic, foods must be produced without conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, hormones, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation.