Organic Foods

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Organic Foods

• Are they worth the price?

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What are Organic Foods?

• Food raised without chemicals and produced
  without additives.
• The United States Department of Agriculture
  (USDA) now has national standards for use of the
  word organic.

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Conventional Farming vs. Organic Farming
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Guide to Organic Food Terms

• 100 organic - single ingredient such as a
  fruit, vegetable, meat, milk and cheese (excludes
  water and salt).
• Organic - multiple ingredient foods which are
  95 to 100 organic.
• Made with organic ingredients - 70 of the
  ingredients are organic. Can appear on the front
  of package, naming the specific ingredients.
• Contains organic ingredients - contains less
  than 70 organic ingredients.

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Understanding Labels

• What Does the Label on Your Chicken Really
  Mean?
• "100 Natural" Chicken According to the U.S.
  Department of Agriculture (USDA) - "100 percent
  natural" means the poultry doesn't contain
  artificial ingredients like preservatives. But
  experts warnthere are no guarantees."100
  percent naturalrememberno inspections are done.
  So we don't know if those claims are really
  true," says Shannon Wallace, R.D., registered
  dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center
  at Dallas.
• Organic Chicken Chicken labeled as "organic"
  must meet much stricter standards. Inspections
  are conducted and organic chicken cannot contain
  artificial ingredients, hormones or antibiotics.
  But are those really harmful to consumers?"The
  USDA does not make any claims that organically
  produced food is any safer or more nutritious
  than conventionally produced food," adds
  Wallace.
• Grain fed Chicken This is supposed to mean the
  chicken was not fed animal by-products, but just
  like "100 percent natural" and "free range,"
  there is no outside monitoring for this claim.
• Free Range Chicken And probably the most
  confusing label of them all - "free range."
  Chicken labeled as "free range is supposed to be
  leaner, but again, experts warn the claim can be
  deceiving."Free range does not always mean that
  the animal has been in an open area its whole
  life. It may only mean they were in a restricted
  area and let out into that open area one time
  during their life," says Wallace

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Nutrition

• Is there a nutritional difference between
• organically and conventionally grown foods?
• Research shows that nutritionally there is no
• evidence that organic produce is better or
• safer than conventionally grown produce.
• The only difference is in the way they are
• grown and processed.

• American Dietetics Association

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Quality and Appearance

• Organic foods must meet the same quality and
  safety standards as conventional foods. How Food
  is produced, processed and handled is the main
  difference in organic and conventional food. You
  may find that organic fruits and vegetables spoil
  faster because they aren't treated with waxes or
  preservatives. Organic produce may also have a
  blemished appearance odd shapes, varying colors
  and perhaps smaller sizes. In most cases,
  however, organic foods look just like
  conventional.

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Pesticides Environment

• Conventional growers use pesticides to protect
  their crops from molds, insects and diseases.
  When farmers spray pesticides, this can leave
  residue on produce. Some people buy organic food
  to limit their exposure to these residues. Most
  experts agree, however, that the amount of
  pesticides found on fruits and vegetables poses a
  very small health risk.
• Some people buy organic food for environmental
  reasons. Organic farming practices are designed
  to benefit the environment by reducing pollution
  and conserving water and soil.

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Cost

• Most organic food costs more than conventional
  food products. Higher prices are due to more
  expensive farming practices, tighter government
  regulations and lower crop yields. Because
  organic farmers don't use herbicides or
  pesticides, many management tools that control
  weeds and pests are labor intensive.

Organic Consumers Association LA Stores
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Taste

• Some people say they can taste the difference
  between organic and non-organic food. Others say
  they find no difference. Taste is a subjective
  and personal consideration, so decide for
  yourself. But whether you buy organic or not,
  finding the freshest foods available may have the
  biggest impact on taste.

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Buying Tips

• Buy fruits and vegetables in season to ensure the
  highest quality.
• Read food labels carefully..
• Don't confuse natural foods with organic foods.
• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly
  with running water to reduce the amount of dirt
  and bacteria.
• If you're concerned about pesticides, peel your
  fruits and vegetables and trim outer leaves of
  leafy vegetables in addition to washing them
  thoroughly.

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References

• USDA www.usda.gov
• American Dietetic Association www.eatright.org
• Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.com
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension
  www.ces.ncsu.edu
• Organic Consumers Association www.organicconsumers
  .org
• www.healthcastle.com
• www.hormonefreefoods.com