Eating well: Is "organic food" a scam?

guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 381 Location: Italy

Hi all,
I think this is an iteresting topic to discuss here at yummyfood.

Although organic food only accounts for 1% to 2% of all food sales around the world, it is gaining in popularity. More and more people want to eat "natural" and "unprocessed" foods rather than their pesticide-covered, genetically-modified cousins.

In fact, since the early 1990s, the global organic food market has been increasing by 20% each year. In February 2003, organic products were being sold in almost 20,000 health food stores in the U.S., as well as in 73% of regular grocery stores. These figures have been rising steadily since then.

However, this surge in the popularity of organic foods raises a number of questions: What does it take for a food to be labeled organic? Is it better for you than regular food? How can you be sure it's really organic? Where can you get it? Is it expensive? Read on to find out all the answers.

What is organic food?
Although to most people the term "organic food" may simply refer to "naturally produced" food, it has a more strict legal definition. In order to be labeled "certified organic," foods have to meet a set of requirements, which vary from one country to the next. In the United States, these criteria include:

# Not using any synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, and so on
# Not using any genetically modified organisms
# Growing the food on farmland that has been chemical-free for at least three years
# Frequent inspection of the sites where organic food is grown
# Keeping detailed records of growth, production and sale of organic products

The goals of these methods include enhancing human health, preserving environmental systems, promoting biodiversity, and recycling resources.

Nevertheless, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) warns that "organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water."

How is organic food certified?
After three years of growing produce without any chemicals or pesticides, a farmer must have his entire farm and equipment inspected by an independent agency to verify that it meets the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards. If he passes the test, the agency provides him with a certificate proving that his produce is "certified organic."

In the case of livestock, it can only be certified organic after having been fed with certified organic grains and products for a year. Organic meat, especially beef, has become more and more popular since the beginning of the mad cow disease scare in 2003.

What is the difference between "natural" and "organic" food?
These different labels can be quite confusing, but don't be fooled. The label "natural" simply means that the food has not been highly processed, but it is not necessarily organic. Always look for the label "USDA certified organic."

What are the benefits of organic food?
The supposed benefits of organics are highly debated. Many critics say that the advantages touted by its proponents have not been scientifically proven. Although the debate is still raging, a report by the UK Soil Association concluded that a predominantly organic diet has many advantages, including:

A reduction in the amount of toxic chemicals consumed
A decrease in the amount of food additives and colorings
An avoidance of genetically-modified organisms
An increase in the amount of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants ingested
A decrease in the incidence of conditions such as coronary heart disease, cancer, allergies, and even hyperactivity in children
A reduction in the use of environmentally-unfriendly chemical production methods
While it is obvious that the methods used to grow organic foods are less damaging to the environment than traditional ones, more research is needed in order to determine whether these other "benefits" are real.

How can you tell whether it's really organic?
Given that the definition of organic food is based on "negatives" such as what not to do when growing it rather than on positives such as scientific formulas allowing us to identify it, the distinction between organic and regular food isn't always perfectly clear.

The easiest way to ensure that the food you are buying is truly organic is to buy it directly from a farm, where you can personally verify their growing and processing techniques. However, this is not a viable option for most city dwellers, who must rely on the "certified organic" product labeling.

According to skeptics, this can be misleading given the rather "loose" definition of organic food. In addition, even organic foods can contain a certain amount of chemicals and pesticides due to their exposure to ground water and rain, which contain these substances because of years of overuse in North America.

How does it taste?
Proponents of organic food claim that the way it is produced makes it taste better, but skeptics say there is no difference.

Why is organic food more expensive than regular food?
On average, organic food is about 35% more expensive than conventional food, although this figure varies depending on location and demand. For example, in August 2004, California organic peaches averaged at $3 a pound, while regular Virginia peaches were 79 cents a pound.

Because pesticides and chemicals aren't used, organic food requires more labor and a higher percentage of the crops are lost. Also, since only about 4% of farmers produce organic food, the demands placed on them are higher and they must factor this into the price. However, if we did the same for regular food and tacked all the indirect costs onto its price, it would likely be more expensive than organic food.

Where can you buy organic food?
It is available at food co-ops, health food stores, farmers' markets, many conventional supermarkets, and even online.

Is the shelf life of organic foods shorter?
Yes. Since no preservatives or other chemicals to prolong freshness are used on organic foods, they tend to spoil more quickly. This makes it difficult for organic retailers to compete with big supermarket chains, as they have to sell their produce much faster.

This is another nebulous area of the organic food chain. Although it's easier to define what can and cannot be done to fresh produce for it to be considered organic, it is much more difficult to determine how much processing can be done to a precooked, frozen entrée for it to be considered "certified organic."

source: http://www.askmen.com

Guido
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In vino veritas!