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Organics
Labels
Sure, eating organic foods reduces exposure to chemicals from conventional foods, and organics are becoming less and less expensive. Supporting organics also reduces our reliance on chemical agriculture (something the world is doing more and more of), and so it's an environmentally sound practice, in large.
However, market practice being what it is (organics were a $3 billion dollar business 10 years ago and are a $15 billion dollar business now), many major food producers are getting involved, and at the same time they are lobbying to allow chemical and other non-enviro-friendly practices to be packaged under the "organic" label!
For instance, Kraft Foods and Archer Daniels Midland Company supported and won a bill in October 2005 allowing "benign synthetic ingredients" to be called "organic." Other companies support bills which say that if organic processes or ingredients cost more than twice that of conventional ingredients, they may use conventional ingredients and still call the product "organic." Wal-Mart and other companies also pressure organic companies to meet tighter pricing guidelines, which in turn may cause them to lobby for more loopholes.
Here are a few things you should know if you want to buy. More complete information is on www.eco-labels.org.
100% Organic -- No synthetic ingredients; independent inspections of food processing
Organic -- At least 95% of ingredients are organic, the rest may be conventional or synthetic.
Organic seafood -- No meaning because the DoA has yet to create standards for seafood.
Made with Organic Ingredients -- 70+% organic; the remainder from a USDA list on synthetics and conventional ingredients.
Free Range / Free Roaming -- Not as solid as it could be. It requires chicken farmers to allow their hens outdoor access for "an undetermined period each day."
Natural or All-Natural -- This term means no artificial flavoring, colors, or preservatives when applied to meats. It has no meaning on any other product. In addition, there are no inspections or verifications for its use; a company gets to decide when it wants to use it.
What to Buy
According to Consumer Reports, you should consider the following:
ALWAYS BUY ORGANIC:
Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, strawberries. √
These fruits and vegetables are laden with pesticides. See www.foodnews.org. for more information.
Meat, poultry, eggs, dairy √
Non-organic feeds for animals is often rich in toxins. In addition, Mad Cow Disease is spread through non-organic feeds.
Baby food
Developing bodies are more vulnerable to toxins than adults are.
BUY ORGANIC FOR HEALTH, PERHAPS, BUT BE PREPARED TO PAY:
Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, sweet peas
Pesticide residue on these is rare, so purchase for health reasons
Breads, oils, potato chips, pasta, cereals, and other packaged foods √
Processing practices for these products tend to eliminate nutrients. In general, the more processing involved in making the product, the less value in the organic.
DON'T BOTHER:
Seafood
The USDA has no developed standards for these, so even "organic" can have PCBs and mercury. See the section on Seafood for more on this.
Cosmetics
Mostly pointless Shampoos and lotions are "organic" if they soak an organic product in a water base. Only 11% of "organic" cosmetic products are tested for safety. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) rates the safety of such products.
Saving Money
Shop Local. √
Many local farmers markets carry organics and don't charge a premium. As or more important, buying locally reduces the high end costs and environmental impact of mass-marketed foods. the gas costs of trucking, warehousing expenses and preservatives, etc. See www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets and www.localharvest.org for listings of local markets.
Order by Mail.
Several companies sell organics and better costs than at the store. www.mynaturalbeef.org, www.eatwellguide.org, and www.theorganicspages.com.
Farm Teams.
Community-supported farms are becoming more popular. Work a few hours a month and you can pay less than some conventional foods. www.sare.org as listings of farm team locations.
Chemical Health Risks in Conventional Foods
Pesticides -- While many companies have voluntarily eliminated the gravest of pesticides in the last 10 years, most Americans consumers can eat more than 30 different pesticides a day which remain after conventional food processing. These can damage the brain, affect a fetus, and have long term health effects.
Hormones -- Synthetic growth hormones are carcinogenic and can also cause puberty imbalances in females. The USDA bans these in all poultry, but only organic beef, dairy cattle, and hogs are hormone-free.
Antibiotics -- Farmers use these to speed growth and prevent sickness from overcrowding animals in pens, etc. The result is antibiotic-resistant bacteria in these animals, which in turn can lower human resistance to antibiotics in human disease treatment.
Other toxins -- All kinds of odd practices occur on some farms. Chicken feet are sometimes dipped in motor oil to prevent leg mites. Arsenic and other heavy metals can appear in chicken feed.
Links
Here are informational websites:
Eco-Labels.Org describes current organic labeling practices
FoodNews.Org describes pesticide residue issues and makes recommendations on good organics to buy
Environmental Working Group is an independent testing group for organics and other products
Organic Consumers Association
Local Food Links:
The USDA site for local farmers markets: www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
An independent site for local markets: www.localharvest.org
Sustainable Agriculture Research Education offers community farm links, etc.: www.sare.org
Mail Order Organics:
www.mynaturalbeef.org
www.eatwellguide.org
www.theorganicspages.com. |