There’s no denying it. The popularity of organic foods has been gaining momentum. Unfortunately, as the organic trend grows larger, so do misconceptions.
To clarify, the term “organic” simply indicates how a product is produced. In no way is organic a criterion for healthfulness.
To be organic, a product must be farmed with an emphasis on renewable resources and conservation of soil and water. Most conventional pesticides, fertilizers with synthetic ingredients, bioengineering or cold pasteurization are not allowed with organic products. For organic meat, eggs and dairy products, organic means that the animals were not given antibiotics or synthetic hormones AND were fed only organic feed.
One huge misconception of organic food is that it is free of pesticides; this is not necessarily true. All natural pesticides and those synthetic pesticides on the National List of allowable substances are still permitted when farming organic products.
Another fallacy is that products claiming to be all-natural are organic. All natural means the product does not contain artificial ingredients, not that it is organic.
With all of this said, the major issue at the heart of the organic discussion is an implicit assumption that the pesticides currently used with conventional products are harmful. First, it is important to understand that pesticides are used to exert a positive effect on our food supply by reducing crop damage caused by insects and pests. It is also important to note that before a company can sell or distribute any pesticide in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must give the green light. The EPA reviews studies on pesticides,
determines if they will or will not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment, and then sets pesticide residue tolerance levels that can remain on food. This level is meant to protect consumers from having harmful amounts of pesticides on or in food. The tolerance level of pesticides is set with the safety of our most vulnerable consumers in mind — infants and children.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the overseeing body for the National Organic Program, makes absolutely no claims that organic food is healthier than conventional food. At this time, clinical research comparing the nutrient composition of organic and conventional food is limited and does not point to a significant difference.
Due to their smaller sizes, some children have been found to have higher levels of pesticides in their system than adults. Despite this, there is currently no evidence that suggests pregnancy outcome in women or performance and growth in children are impaired when eating conventional food over organic food.
Whether eating organic is better than eating conventional appears to remain a personal preference. In the end, eating a variety of foods — organic or not — is best for health and should be part of your overall meal plan.
Have any questions? Feel Free to ask me, your personal nutrition expert at
Ask Carrie
2145 Roosevelt Ave.
P.O. Box 7840
Springfield, MA 01102
askcarrie@bigy.com
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