Friday, September 14, 2012

Organic Foods

By Michelle Underwood, Dietetic Intern with Penn State Extension In today’s ever-changing marketplace, choosing foods to nourish your family while maintaining a budget can be both difficult and confusing. It seems there are so many foods touting health claims these days, which makes it harder to decode what will be a good choice for your family’s dinner table. “Organic”, “all-natural”, “fresh”, “antibiotic-free”, “cage-free”, “free-range” - what does all this mean and is it worth the price? The term “organic” refers to foods which have been farmed and produced according to the standards of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP). Organic farms cannot use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, sewage sludge fertilizers, genetically modified seeds, growth hormones, antibiotics or drugs (except in the case of illness). Animals being raised organically must have access to the outdoors, organic feed, and live in non-stressful settings. Organic food processing cannot use non-organic ingredients, irradiation, genetically engineered ingredients, or solvents to extract oil. Farmers must demonstrate these characteristics for three years prior to becoming a certified organic farm. (Organic Labels, 2003) One cannot assume any food that uses the term “organic” is 100% organic. There are four types of organic labels: “100% organic”, “organic”, “made with organic ingredients”, and others. Foods labeled “100% organic” with the USDA organic seal are the only foods guaranteed to be 100% organic. Foods labeled “organic” must contain at least 95% organic ingredients and have the USDA organic seal. Foods labeled “made with organic ingredients” may not use the USDA organic seal, but must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Other foods containing organic ingredients may not use the USDA organic seal and may only list the organic ingredients in the ingredient list. (Organic Labeling, 2012) Food labeled as “natural”, “fresh”, “cage-free”, and other labels cannot be assumed to be organic as these terms do not share the same definition. But are organic foods worth the price? Some might agree, citing an array of health claims from preventing cancer to autism, while others state that you can get all of the benefits of fruits and vegetables from conventionally farmed foods- often for half the price of organic produce. Some advantages of organic foods can include fresh taste, support of local industry, and less environmental impact. However, organic foods can often be costly, less convenient to purchase, and can be misleading as to whether or not they are truly organic. A systematic review of 240 studies from 1966-2011 by Stanford University researchers concluded that organic foods cannot be assumed to have more nutrients as conventionally farmed produce. Organic foods have been found to contain less pesticide residue, but the amount of pesticide residue found in conventionally farmed produce is at acceptable levels and is not known to harm humans. (Spangler et. al, 2012) So, are organic foods worth the price? Choosing organic foods is really a personal choice to be made by each consumer, weighing the pros and cons. If it comes to decreasing the quantity of fruits and vegetables you consume due to the price of purchasing organic foods, the smart choice should be obvious. When shopping for organic foods, it is important to remember to look for the USDA organic seal and check the label to see if what you are buying is actually organic. Happy shopping! References: Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension. (2003). Organic Labels. [Brochure]. Brown, JL: Author. Organic Labeling. Retrieved September 13, 2012 from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service: National Organic Program Web Site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?&template=TemplateA&navID=NationalOrganicProgram&leftNav=NationalOrganicProgram&page=NOPOrganicLabeling Crystal Smith-Spangler, Margaret L. Brandeau, Grace E. Hunter, J. Clay Bavinger, Maren Pearson, Paul J. Eschbach, Vandana Sundaram, Hau Liu, Patricia Schirmer, Christopher Stave, Ingram Olkin, Dena M. Bravata; Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?A Systematic Review. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2012 Sep;

4 comments:

  1. Hello Guys Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Organic foods are also not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.Thanks a lot!!

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