The organic thing
Treat the earth well. It was not given to us by our parents,
but loaned to us by our children
A Kenyan proverb
We don"t like to eat chemically treated food or inflict damage on the environment; we therefore don"t think you would. We also think it is easier to make tasty cakes when using organic ingredients. They are so full of flavour, it would be silly not to use them.
We actually don"t think our organic cakes should have to be labelled specifically as organic. The ones on the shelves next to them made from conventionally farmed ingredients, containing flavourings, colour and preservatives should be labeled "warning " contains chemicals". This would, in our opinion, be a more appropriate way to classify organic and conventional food.
- What is organic
- Animal Welfare
- Food Additives
- Genetically modified ingredients
- How can we be sure our ingredients are organic
- How can you be sure our cakes are organic?
- Want to know more?
What is organic?
Organic food production uses a minimum of 95% organically grown ingredients. At Honeyrose we actually use 100%.
In brief, organic farming is growing crops without resorting to routine use of chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, using natural methods of controlling pest and fertilising the land.
This is the way man has farmed and grown crops from the beginning of time using the tools nature gave him. Organic farming increases biodiversity and raises wildlife numbers on the farmland, including plants, insects and birds. Wildlife is a vital part of organic farming, as it is used for pest control. It makes farming an integral part of nature, preserves fertile soil by keeping it healthy and does not cause damage to the environment, leaving it intact for future generations, and produces nutritious food.
We doubt you would spray your home grown carrots up to thirteen times with various chemicals. Why then buy conventional carrots in the supermarket which have been sprayed thirteen times for you?
Animal welfare
The cows which produced the organic milk from which our butter is made, and the chickens which laid the organic free range eggs in our cakes all lead much happier and healthier lives. If they become sick, the farmer will first seek to treat them with natural remedies and homeopathy, and only use conventional drugs if really necessary. So think about the "what you eat is what you are" cycle.
Animals on organic farms are never given growth hormones.
We would not give that to our children, would we, so why will conventional farmers not accept that it takes time for a chicken to grow.
Food Additives
Organic food production does not allow the addition of any artificial flavourings, colourings and sweeteners such as nature-identical flavours, monosodium glutamate and saccharin. If you think our cakes are good, it is because the ingredients are good, not because we add nice-tasting chemicals to our cakes.
Genetically Modified Ingredients
It goes without saying that genetically modified ingredients are prohibited in organic food production.
How can we be sure our raw materials are organic?
We obtain organic certificates for all our raw materials. These certificates confirm that the farmer who grew, for example, our flour has farmed in accordance with the EU regulation for organic farming (the farmer is as thoroughly inspected as we are). We also have an obligation to keep track of all our ingredients. At any time, from receipt of our ingredients to delivery of our cakes to a store, we are able to prove when and where we purchased the ingredients of those cakes.
Some companies produce both organic and conventional cakes. At Honeyrose Bakery, we only make organic cakes and therefore only hold organic ingredients in our stores, so there is no chance of a non-organic raisin accidentally slipping into your Oat & Raisin Cookie.
How can you be sure our cakes are organic?
DEFRA (United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is the UK body, which interprets the EU regulations about what constitutes organic food. A number of companies are licensed by DEFRA to carry out inspection of food processors who manufacture organic food. Honeyrose Bakery is audited and inspected by The Organic Food Federation. They come to our bakery and inspect all our products, invoices, and stores to check that all the raw materials we have purchased and our baking processes are in accordance with the strict regulations for organic food processing. It is not permitted to label food as organic if the producer does not hold a valid license from one of the inspecting bodies. Honeyrose cakes are labeled ´Organic certification UK4`.
Want to know more?
If you want to know more about organic food, and the benefits to the environment, visit:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic
http://www.orgfoodfed.co.uk/
http://www.soilassociation.org
