Hints from Heloise: Here's what those organic terms mean

Dear Heloise: Could you please reprint what "organic" means? I am a little confused. -- A Reader, via e-mail


Dear Reader: Happy to help clear up any confusion. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for crops to be considered certified organic, it means that no synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, prohibited pesticides, irradiation or genetically modified organisms were used.

For livestock, no growth hormones or antibiotics can be used, and they have to meet certain health and welfare standards.

There are three labels you might come across: "100 percent organic," "organic" and "made with organic ingredients."

"100 percent organic" is just as the label says -- 100 percent of it was made using organic ingredients. "Organic" means at least 95 percent of it was made with organic ingredients, and "made with organic ingredients" means at least 70 percent of its ingredients are organic.

If food has a "USDA Organic" seal, it means that it has been certified organic and has met all of the standards required when a government-approved certified inspector inspected the product. -- Heloise


Dear Heloise: I keep the flat, square boxes that sticks of butter come in. Whenever I pack a sandwich for lunch, I slide it into the empty box before putting it in my lunchbox. The cardboard keeps the sandwich from getting smashed. -- A Reader in Illinois


Dear Heloise: When traveling, I always pack a plug-in night light and a couple of medium-size binder clips. I plug in the night light in the bathroom so I can find my way in the middle of the night without turning on a bright light. I use the binder clips to hold window curtains closed if there's a gap or to hang slacks or skirts if no pants hangers are available. -- Pam LaRoche, Dover, N.H.


Dear Pam: Great travel hints! Readers, do you have travel hints you think will help others? Send them in, and they could become some of our weekly Travel Hints. -- Heloise


Dear Heloise: I wear aprons when cooking. When I would wash them, the straps would get tangled up. Now, before I put them in the laundry, I fold up the straps and rubber-band them, and they don't get tangled. -- Rhea in Tennessee

Send a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax: (210) 435-6473 or send e-mail to Heloise@Heloise.com.