by Lisa McLean of www.beautyfulnaturally.com
This month is Australian Certified Organic (ACO) Awareness Month, so it’s the perfect time to talk about what certified organic means and why as mothers we should consider buying organic.
The ACO certification process was set up in the late 80’s due to the lack of legislation recognising the term ‘organic’ and a need to distinguish true organic products. Their logo, known as the ‘bud logo’ is appearing on more and more products we buy including fresh produce, packaged foods, and cosmetics.
Brands who offer products bearing this logo have been inspected from paddock to plate, or farm to bottle. They have spent time and money on gaining the certification because they believe in the importance of offering top quality products, which consumers can trust.
So what can the bud logo guarantee you may ask?
Here is the list:
- Organic
- Cruelty-Free
- Pasture Fed
- Free Range
- Sustainably Fished
- Biodiversity Friendly
- GM Free
- Socially Responsible
- Grown free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics
Why are these things important? Because there is more research coming out all the time about how certain ingredients in food and chemicals used in products can adversely affect our health
I am excited to see the bud logo appear more on beauty products as well as food
because it gives me the confidence that I can buy the product, and feed it to my family, or use it on our skin or around the house, knowing it is the best quality and without nasties. It actually saves me time when shopping – no need for detailed label reading!
Some of you may already buy all organic products or like me buy what we can. We all have family budgets we need to stick to! I know many people believe buying organic is more expensive Although some organic products are more expensive than readily available processed foods, these days there are a lot of organic products that are very competitive with non-organic – you may just need to shop around. Really, what price do you put on your family’s health?
Since it’s ACO Awareness Month, I challenge you to seek out the great Australian brands proudly stamped with the bud logo and try them. The more we vote with our money as consumers, the more aware all businesses will become of what is important for us as mums. This, in turn, may also help to bring down the cost of putting organic food on the table or products made from natural and organic ingredients into our homes. In the end, it’s about the health of our family and our community.
Tell me – do you buy Australian Certified Organic products? What are your favourite brands wearing the bud logo?
Lisa x