Each year in the US, over 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides and herbicides are sprayed or added to farming crops. This averages out to roughly 10 pounds of pesticides for each man, women, and child. Purchasing organic foods contributes to a healthier planet.

Raising Your Organic IQ

Author: Janet Little CN

Posted: 07/21/08

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Each year in the US, over 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides and herbicides are sprayed or added to farming crops. This averages out to roughly 10 pounds of pesticides for each man, women, and child. Purchasing organic foods contributes to a healthier planet.

Q. What is organic food?

A. Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. It is produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, bio-engineering, or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, eliminate the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.

Q. Is “natural” the same as “organic”?

A. No. Seeing the word “natural” on a label does not guarantee the food has been produced in a renewable way and without the use of pesticides. Only labels with the words “Certified Organic” can guarantee such claims. As of October 21, 2002, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has put in place a set of national standards that food labeled “organic” must meet, whether it is grown domestically or imported from other countries. To determine whether a food meets the USDA's standards, a US government–approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the necessary rules. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets distributed to stores or restaurants must be certified as well.

Q. Are organic foods more nutritious?

A. Organic foods of all kinds have nutritional characteristics similar to their conventionally produced counterparts. Essentially the same amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber in a glass of organic milk is found in a glass of milk produced nonorganically. Although studies have indicated that organically grown crops have higher nutrient content more often than conventionally grown crops, it is not clear whether this could have a long-term effect on human health. Some people who prefer organic food believe that it is more nutritious.

Q. Does organic food taste better?

A. The USDA makes no claims that organically produced food tastes better than conventionally produced food—only that it is grown, handled, and processed differently. Many people believe organic produce has an excellent taste; some believe it contains more nutrients. Many chefs prefer organic produce because they think it both tastes better and helps create agriculture sustainable for generations to come.

Q. Why does organic food cost more?

A. Organic agriculture is not subsidized to the same extent as conventional agriculture, and organic practices, such as hand weeding, are often labor-intensive, and therefore more expensive. Because organic farms and industry are generally small, they cannot take advantage of economies of scale. Organic agriculture utilizes conservation practices that protect soil, water, and air; while they do cost more, those who employ and support these practices view the extra cost as an investment in the future.

TERMS AND LABELS

Organic Certification – Organic growing and processing methods for products sold in the United States are regulated by the National Organic Program standards. Third-party certification of organic farms guarantees that any product that is labeled as “organic” in the United States meets or exceeds these stringent criteria:
- No prohibited substances have been used on the land for at least three years.
- Detailed records have been kept of the methods and materials used in production.
- All methods and materials have been inspected annually by a third-party certifier accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

“100% Organic” – All processing aids and minor ingredients must be organic. Must list the USDA accredited certifying agency information. May use the USDA seal.

“Organic” – The USDA Organic seal also tells you that a product is at least 95% - 99% organic. The federal government set standards for the production, processing and certification of organic food in the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA). May use USDA seal.

“Made with organic ingredients” – Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. Cannot use the USDA seal.

“Less than 70% organic ingredients” – No labeling or word “organic” on front label, but may list any organic ingredients on the side panel.

CHILDREN AND PESTICIDES

The Consumers Union in May 2000 reiterated that pesticide residues in foods children eat every day often exceed safe levels. The update said an independent analysis of USDA’s 1998 tests on fruits and vegetables found high levels of pesticide residues on winter squash, peaches, apples, grapes, pears, green beans, spinach, strawberries, and cantaloupe. The Consumers Union urged consumers to consider buying organically grown varieties, particularly of these fruits and vegetables.
Every day, more than one million children 5 and under (1 out of 20) eat an unsafe dose of organophosphate insecticides. One hundred thousand of these children exceed the EPA safe dose. (ewg.org)
A recent study demonstrated the effects of pesticide accumulation in children. Young children who normally followed a conventional diet were switched to an organic diet for several weeks. Researchers found that the urine pesticide levels in these children were significantly higher when they followed a conventional diet compared to when they ate only organic foods.
Special attention is given to the effects of pesticides on children because their developing immune systems may have difficulty eliminating them from the body. Furthermore, children eat more fruits and vegetables (relative to their body weight) and have less varied diets than most adults. This is a concern because, for example, children who eat a limited variety of fruits and vegetables risk constant exposure to the same pesticides.

ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without relying on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Organic growing practices protect the ecosystem, the health of those who work the land, and the long-term well-being of customers who eat the crops.

Organic crops don’t rely on potentially harmful toxic chemical pesticides, herbicides, fumigants, or synthetic fertilizers. They are never genetically engineered or modified, and never irradiated. Organic farming helps protect our air, soil, water, and food supply from potentially toxic chemicals and other pollutants, and organic farming conserves natural resources by recycling natural materials.

Be picky. If all your produce purchases can’t be organic, be sure to buy organic the 12 most contaminated non-organic fruits and vegetables:

Strawberries
Peppers
Spinach
Cherries (US)
Celery
Apples
Raspberries
Grapes (Chile)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes

12 least contaminated non-organic fruits and vegetables (purchase freely):

Asparagus
Avocado
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sweetcorn
Kiwis
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Peas
Pineapple

ORGANIC EGGS AND DAIRY
Eggs

Organic poultry cannot be given growth-producing hormones (which are prohibited in conventional systems as well) or antibiotics. The animals may receive preventive medical care, such as vaccines, and dietary supplements of vitamins and minerals. They must be fed certified organic feed, free of animal byproducts, or feed on certified organic pastures if raised on a pastured system. Organic poultry and eggs must be processed in plants that are certified to process organic poultry and eggs.
Producers must provide living conditions that accommodate the health and natural behavior of the animals. Animals must have access to the outdoors, shade, exercise areas, fresh air, and direct sunlight suitable to their species and stage of production, but minimum levels of access have not been set. For poultry, indoor confinement must be temporary and justified due to weather, stage of production, health and safety of animal, and risks to soil or water quality. Growers are not allowed to cage organic poultry.
Organic eggs come from hens fed only organic grains and raised without hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs.

Dairy

Organic dairy cows are not treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics given regularly to most conventional cows can be passed to humans through dairy products, and prolonged exposure can lead to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
Organic dairy cows are not treated with synthetic hormones, meaning organic milk and dairy comes from cows that were not given recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). This hormone causes cows to increase milk production but may also pose a health threat to the animals and to humans. Dairy products from cows treated with rBGH may show higher levels of IGF-1, which could be a factor in the growth of breast, prostate, and colon cancers.
Organic dairy cows eat an all-organic diet, which minimized their exposure to pesticides. Pesticides are fat-soluble and passed to humans through the fat in conventional dairy products.
Organic dairy cows are happy cows! They must have access to open air and many organic dairy cows are allowed to graze freely in organic pastures.

Organic meat and poultry

Farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations raise organic meat and poultry. Organic farmers must also adhere to the following standards:
- Animals are given no antibiotics, hormones, or growth stimulants.
- Animals are treated humanely and given access to the outdoors.
- Animals must be fed 100% certified organic feed and must graze in certified organic pastures.
- All meat and poultry processing must be done according to strict USDA standards in a plant certified and regularly inspected for organic production. Animals designated for dairy may not be sold for slaughter.
- At the packing plant, animals are isolated from conventional herds and fed organically. Few plants process exclusively organic products, so the entire line is cleaned to organic specifications before any meat or poultry product is run.

Q. Is grass-fed meat better?

A. There is some evidence that sustainable techniques of pasturing enable animals to eat the grasses and greens that their bodies are naturally adapted to eat, resulting in healthier animals and leaner cuts of meat. Moreover, some experts believe that since cattle are meant to eat grasses, the acidity levels in their stomachs are altered when they eat grains, making them more susceptible to bacteria and infections.

On factory farms, animals are fed corn and grains, as well as additives and byproducts to make them gain weight. As a result, factory-farmed meat can often have a high fat content. In contrast, meat from pasture-raised animals is often lower in calories, and contains a better ratio of good fats to bad fats. Even free-range poultry and eggs frequently have less fat than their factory-farmed counterparts.

TERMS AND LABELS

Understanding the following terms can help you when shopping for meat and poultry.

Cage-free: A bird raised in a chicken house that may or may not offer access to the outdoors.
Free-range: Poultry that has had some access to the outdoors each day.
Pastured: Hens that can roam free on farms, eating their natural diet.
Vegetarian: Poultry that has been fed only corn and grain.
Grass-fed: Animals that have eaten nothing but their mother's milk and grass.
Natural: Meat and poultry cannot contain any artificial flavoring, colors, chemical preservatives, or artificial or synthetic ingredients, and cannot be more than “minimally processed.”
Organic: Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products that come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.

Henry's Market Her smiling face and enthusiastic voice may look and sound familiar to you, as she has been the spokesperson for Henry’s Farmers Market since 1996. For over 20 years, Janet Little has worked within the health food industry and has traveled the region speaking extensively on natural and organic foods, nutrition, vitamins and minerals, herbal solutions and homeopathic remedies. Her areas of expertise include child nutrition, health and fitness, women’s health and nutritional counseling. Contact Janet Little at 619-647-6179 or janet.little@henrysmarket.com.