The explosion of the organic market in the past few years has been hard to miss. Organic used to be a label left for a small percentage of fruits and vegetables, but now those organic labels are being slapped on everything: our meat, milk, eggs, cheese, even macaroni and cheese, cereal and crackers. As quickly as its popularity rose, in the midst of this economic crisis, consumers are purchasing organic less because of its lofty price tag. There is almost a stigma on purchasing non organic products now a days, causing those trying to shrink their budget to feel as though they are eating lower quality or less nutritious food. If this is you, read on and breathe easy.
Organic consumers usually buy organic for three reasons: to avoid pesticides and genetically modified foods, for enhanced freshness and quality, and for increased health and nutrition. These are great things to be concerned about, but there are a few flaws in buying organic to meet this criterion.
Perhaps one of the biggest pushes for buying organic is that organic products are raised and farmed without the use of pesticides, which many believe are harmful to their health. They're chemicals, how can they not be, right?
The United States has strong regulations on food and beverages to determine food risk and quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes restrictions on how much pesticides can be used on food during both the growing and processing stages, and how much of those pesticides can remain on your food when you purchase it. The purpose of using pesticides on foods is to prevent, destroy or reduce the presence of pests that eat and destroy the crops. The EPA assesses pesticides and pesticide levels thoroughly to make sure they are safe both for human consumption and for the environment as a whole. All foods must pass the EPA's standards for safety or it wouldn’t be in your supermarket, and wouldn't get anywhere near your family.
MYTH: Organic means better nutrition.
TRUTH: Organic is the type of farming that does not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides or hormones. Organic does not mean better nutrition.
Genetically modified foods have been a hot topic since the early 2000’s. Genetically modified foods refer to food products affected by the plants that are modified with certain desirable traits, such as improved resistance to pests and disease, herbicide, cold and drought tolerance and improved nutrition. Animals eat these plants, and then we consume the animal’s meat, eggs or dairy by-products. The fear is that the protein chain being altered may create new proteins, increasing the possibility that a new allergen may emerge potentially causing an allergic reaction in the consumer. However, there are guidelines that are used to evaluate the toxic potential of a new strain in the transformed crop, with the history of the parent crop, and the quality of the gene donor also taken into account when evaluated for safety.
Genetically modified foods have been shown to be safe and nutritious due to the reported lack of adverse effects, but just as with pesticides, many organic consumers don’t believe that a lack of noted effects is proof of safety.
It is important to note that safe does not mean healthy. Safe, by regulatory standards, means consuming the product will not negatively affect your health, but the term healthy means the product has health promoting benefits, such as nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
This is where the battle line is often drawn. Fear of chemicals and genetically modified foods seem to be more widely accepted as reasons for going organic, but many are under the misconception that organic foods are healthier for you. Organic refers to the way food is raised and processed- it doesn’t change the actual nutritional value of the food itself. Farming methods for both organic and conventional food products include use of best management practices, follow environmental regulations and applied crop rotation. The main differences are the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in the farming management.
Did You Know?
Frozen fruits and vegetables are harvested at their peak degree of ripeness and are a great source of nutrition. Look for the unsweetened packages.
There have been 88 studies conducted on organic quality from 1980 -2007, with approximately 10-15 new studies that are anticipated for the near future. Studies have shown an average increase in antioxidant levels by about 25% in organic products, however this can be attributed to growth patterns/rates, plant defenses and their response to stress.
There is much controversy over this topic, however, certain studies have resulted in different findings on the nutritional quality of organic vs non-organic. According to the “State of the Science” report 61% of studies on the issue favored organic as having more nutritional value, 37% favored conventional foods, and 2% studies remained neutral, simply put, it’s a ratio of almost 3:2. Future research is still warranted in order to make a more definitive answer, as there are many aspects not yet studied, such as the effect on large populations and on chronic disease, which would further validate which option is truly healthier.
Organic crops do benefit the environment by increasing soil quality, and promoting biodiversity. The effects on the earth are undeniable, and for some greenies, that’s reason enough to buy entirely organic. Support for local farmers is also a huge factor, as local farmers tend to use organic farming methods to produce their products.
Whether one buys organic or not is a personal decision, but in these tough economic times where everyone’s dollar needs to stretch a little further, just know that something labeled organic, and priced accordingly, is not necessarily a healthier choice. The organic farming industry is a business just like any other, looking to convince you their product is the best and turn a profit. Do what’s best for your family and budget and don’t let any of those Whole Foods shoppers give you the stink eye.
Bottom Line:
- Organic food refers to the farm production of the product not the actual make up of the product itself
- Organic and conventional dairy foods are BOTH safe and nutritious
- Fruits and Vegetables period (organic and conventional) are the keys to preventative health- there is little evidence to suggest organic is healthier than non-organicI
- If you can afford to buy organic then your spending your money for a good cause however, if you can't afford organic there are cheaper alternatives.
Inexpensive Fruit and Vegetable Options:
- Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- Buy frozen fruit/vegetables (look for “unsweetened” packages).
- Buy canned fruit, packaged in fruit’s own juice (stay away from “heavy syrup”).
- Buy canned vegetables (look for “no salt added” label).
References
1. Food and Drug Administration: www.fda.gov
2. Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov
3. United States Department of Agriculture: www.usda.gov
4. United States Department of Agriculture of Organic Standards:
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/Consumerhome.html
5. United States Department of Agriculture of General Milk Safety Standards: www.ams.usda.gov/dairy/stand.htm
6. American Dietetic Association on Organic Foods:
www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4143_ENU_HTML.htm
7. Dairy Farming Today: www.dairyfarmingtoday.org
8. United States Department of Agriculture, National Organic Program www.ams.usda.gov/nop
9. American Dietetic Association, Sustainability Task Force www.eatright.org
10. Journal of Dairy Science www.jds.fass.org
11. Dairy Farming Today www.dairyfarmingtoday.org
12. National Dairy Council www.nationaldairycouncil.org
13. UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Biological Diversity in Food and Agriculture: Crops. Rome, Italy: FAO; 2004. Available at: www.fao.or/biodiversity/crops_en.asp
14. UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Biological Diversity in Food and Agriculture: Domestic Animal Genetic Diversity. Rome, Italy: FAO; 2004. Available at: www.fao.or/biodiversity/Domestic_en.asp
15. Holland J. Colonies in Crisis. National Geographic. 2007; 10:31.
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20. Food Standards Agency: http://www.food.gov.uk/
21. Asami DK, Hong Y, Barrett DM, Mitchell AE. Comparison of the Total Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Content of Freeze-Dried and Air-Dried Marionberry, Strawberry, and Corn Grown Using Conventional, Organic, and Sustainable Agricultural Practices. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2003, 51, 1237-1241
22. Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S, Jorgensen LV, Dragsted LO, Gundersen V, Sandstrom B. Effect of Diets Based on Foods from Conventional versus Organic Production on Intake and Excretion of Flavonoids and Markers of Antioxidative Defense in Humans. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2003, 51, 5671-5676.
23. Daniel O, Meier MS, Schlatter J, Frischknecht P. Selected Phenolic Compounds in Cultivated Plants: Ecologic Functions, Health Implications, and Modulation by Pesticides. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 107, Supplement 1: Reviews in Environmental Health, Feb. 1999, pp. 109-114
24. The Organic Center-“State of the Science” Report: http://www.organic-center.org/
25. Vicini J, Etherton T, Kris-Etherton P, Ballam J, Denham S, Staub R, Goldstein D, Cady R, McGrath M, Lucy M. Survey of Retail Milk Composition as Affected by Label Claims Regarding Farm-Management Practices. JADA., 2008, 108, 1198-1203
