‘Integrity’ vital as sales of organic food hit €66m

SALES of organic food in Ireland are €66 million a year and rising, as consumers place their faith in produce free of pesticides and in meat reared naturally.

Yet, consumers could be forgiven for wondering what kind of quality controls are in place, especially given the higher prices they have to pay for organic food.

The first way of checking home-grown produce and meat is to ensure that the food has a label or stamp from one of the three organisations legally allowed to approve organic food in Ireland: the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA), Demeter and the Organic Trust.