Food Characteristics in the Organic Processing Industries

Organic industry is a small but progressive section of food industry in developed countries. Organic products are categorized based on the percentage of the proportion of the organic ingredients to non-organic ingredients in their formulation. Using preservatives, synthetic food colorants and flavorings are prohibited. The non-organic ingredients must be legally accepted in organic codex standard.In recent years, the higher concentration of bioactive substances, like antioxidants and phenolic compounds has been suggested in organic foods comparing to commercial products. In comparison to commercial foods, organic foods also carry less nitrate and chemical residue but limited use of fungicide may raise the probability of contamination of organic products with mycotoxin. This study aimed to review the characteristics of organic foods in five sections of law, marketing, production, nutritional features and food safety.