The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently set uniform rules for producing and labeling organic food. The label says "USDA ORGANIC" across a field and the horizon.

Products like soup or snack foods may carry this label. Products with 95 percent or more organic ingredients can be called organic on the main panel on the label. Products with less than 70 percent organic content can use the term "organic" only on the ingredient information panel.

In addition, growers can't use sewage sludge for fertilizer. But pesticides are so much a part of our environment that organic produce is not guaranteed to be completely pesticide-free. Still, a Consumer Reports study found organic foods "had consistently minimal or non-existent pesticide residue."

The USDA says the organic label doesn't guarantee greater safety, health, quality or nutritional value. The label does assure consumers that organic products are grown and processed using USDA standards. "The important thing about organic foods," Organic Trade Association spokeswoman Holly Givens adds, "is that they are produced using a method of agriculture that supports a healthier environment, and that benefits everyone."

The limited supply of organic ingredients means firms that buy them may have to pay more because of small crop yields or long-distance shipping. That should improve as more land is devoted to producing them.

Research is under way on the health effects of pesticides and other chemicals. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says most food contains pesticide residues at levels low enough to be considered safe. Environmental groups counter that research has been done only on the effects of exposure to a single chemical at one time. In reality, we face a number of chemicals at once. The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 calls for a review of agricultural chemicals. That should help spur more research.

EPA guidelines support all three practices. Scrub produce under running water rather than just soaking it to remove bacteria, dirt and chemical residue. Peeling and trimming skin from fruits and vegetables help remove additional pesticide traces. The loss of nutrients in the skins is a reasonable trade-off for the added safety, nutritionists say. Eating a variety of foods cuts the odds that you'll be exposed to high levels of a single pesticide. Add this to a safe food-handling routine that includes washing hands often, cooking foods thoroughly, keeping perishable foods cold, separating raw meat from other foods and avoiding cross-contamination.