What's organic in Maryland?

What’s “organic” mean in Maryland? I don’t know what it means where you live, but we have a Food Quality Assurance Program. Certified organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics, growth hormones or inorganic feed. Certified organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

Before a product can be certified organic in Maryland, inspectors visit the farm and also, all the handlers and processors. The label makes no claim that organic food is any safer or more nutritious than conventional food.