Certified Delicious

Pasta is comfort food, generally high in carbohydrates that stimulate production of serotonin - our brain’s feel-good neurotransmitter. Organic whole-grain pastas are unrefined carbohydrates that our bodies absorb more slowly and sustain us longer.

What makes pasta organic is the grain or vegetables from which they’re made. These must be grown in soil that has been free of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, or fungicides for at least three years. Ingredients for organic pastas have not been genetically modified or irradiated.

In addition to pasta made from organic wheat, look for pastas made from spelt or kamut. These are great choices for people with wheat sensitivity. Spelt is high in simple and complex carbohydrates. Kamut is a nonhybridized wheat that some people with wheat allergies are able to eat.

Those allergic to gluten in wheat and spelt will find organic pastas made from rice, potato flour, quinoa, corn, and soy. Quinoa pasta is particularly interesting—made of flour ground from the seed of a leafy plant distantly related to spinach.

Pastas made from vegetables are also a good choice. They’re lower in carbohydrates and cook quickly, so time them carefully.

Organic whole-grain or vegetable pastas are easy to cook and serve. Most importantly, they offer satisfaction and contentment to the discerning diner.

Labelling Classifications

Canadian Standards

• organic, organically grown/raised/produced, certified organic and biodynamic, or any variations of the word organic are organic claims. Not meeting requirements of National Standard for Organic Agriculture is misleading and is a violation.
• Organic is not synonymous with pesticide-free.

US Standards

• 100-percent organic: produced using solely organic methods.
• Certified organic: 95-percent ingredients by weight, produced organically.
• Made with organic: at least 70-percent organic ingredients, three listed on label.
• Less than 70-percent organic ingredients: must be identified on label.

Source: inspection.gc.ca, ams.usda.gov/Consumers/brochure.html.