There has been recent discussion about whether organic and natural products are healthier alternatives to commercial products. Since this debate began, there are now grocery stores that are dedicated to providing products that are essentially all natural or organic. Various examples of these grocery stores include Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Safeway, and Super Target. Skeptics of this argument suggest that the natural and organic food industries are all marketing ploys aimed at consumers looking for healthier food choices. The final question we need to ask ourselves to get to the bottom of this debate is: are organic and natural foods actually more beneficial or are they just a marketing hoax? First we need to define in detail what organic products, natural products are and how they differ. In order for a product or product to be classified as organic, it must meet the USDA requirements for organic foods. To meet these USDA requirements, organic crops must be produced without conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering and ionizing radiation. (Information about organic production and organic foods) Organically raised farm animals must have access to the outdoors for grazing. If a food has a "USDA organic" label, it contains at least 95 percent organic ingredients and a government-approved expert has inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer complies with USDA requirements. (About Organic Production and Organic Foods) Natural food guidelines are much more lenient when it comes to regulations, especially when compared to organic regulations. All foods containing natural flavors, sweeteners or other substances of plant origin can be labeled as natural. (Stated by the American Society for Nut... at the center of the article... done by USA Today, "there are no significant differences in the vitamin content of organic and conventional fruits and vegetables when considering vitamins A, C and E. Even worse, both types of foods were similar. Cowen's analysis that organic products and commercial products are no different nutritionally was correct in saying that organic is just a marketing policy that guarantees consumers consumers the methods used to produce the product, the consumer felt comfortable paying more for that information Access Tools." Organic Production and Organic Food: Information Access Tools. Np, nd Web. November 13, 2013.WebMD "Are Organic Foods Better for You?" WebMD, n.d. Web. Nov. 13. 2013.