The terms are not necessarily new, but they can still raise some doubts. Which
are the differences between natural, organic and biological products? And how can we be sure of what we are buying?

With environmental concerns increasingly in the order of the day, ethics in food production has become more and more demanding and as a result concepts have emerged in the food world that may be a little strange.

How can we make this distinction?

BIO or Organic

BIO or organic food is the result of cultivation using sustainable practices
which guarantees quality and safety. This type of production must respect the legislation applied to organic production and not use pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides or other products prohibited by this European regulation.

Consumers can check that they are in front of an organic or BIO food through the European certification, with its own label.

The EU organic logo provides a consistent visual identity for organic food
produced in the European Union, helping farmers to market it across the EU and making it easier for consumers to identify it.

The BIO logo can be used only on products that have been certified
organic by an authorised control body or agency. This certification attests to
compliance with strict conditions regarding production, processing transport and storage.

Next to the EU organic logo, there must be a code number of the control body (e.g. PT-BIO-03), as well as an indication of where the agricultural raw materials used in its composition were produced.

This will tell you whether the product is made with ingredients of European or non European origin. Examples:

Natural

Natural products are those which come directly from nature, although they may be cultivated with pesticides, additives, fertilisers and genetically modified organisms. Furthermore, natural do not have any official certification, unlike organic and BIO products.