To+Be+Or+Not+To+Be+Organic+Food



You walk into a grocery store you see the signs in the aisles, the stickers on the produce, the seals on the cereal, and you ask yourself what’s the difference does it matter if the food I eat is organic or not, is it truly better for me? Well ever since the organic food craze began consumers have been asking themselves these very questions.

And as consumers continue to become more and more health conscious, organic food has definitely increased in popularity exponentially. It is pretty much a guaranteed fact the future will see more and more products being marketed as organic food. Let’s start off with answering a few questions first, these answers are courtesy of www.streetdirectory.com

Where are organic foods found?

Organic foods can be found all over the world. Many people can find organically grown produce at their local farmers market as well as grocery stores. Organic foods are marked with a special USDA sticker certifying that the product is organically grown. Other countries employ a similar governing agency to regulate the growing procedures of animals, vegetables and fruits.

Why is there such an explosion of organic foods in grocery stores?

With medical technology keeping us living longer, there has been a renaissance of finding foods that are good for us. That includes vegetables, tomatoes and animal products that are free from possibly dangerous pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics.

How does the USDA and other government agencies determine what constitutes organic food?

There is actually a very complex method to determine if a farmer or co-op can market their foods as organic. A division of the United States Department of Agriculture analyzes the composition of the land, record keeping, and a documentation of any herbal or chemical pesticides used on the plant, vegetable, fruit or animal.

After passing the certification to label the farm as "organic" the farmer can then be free to use the USDA Organic seal on its produce.

What price do consumers pay for organic foods?

Organic foods are higher in price in grocery stores than those that are not. Farmers must make more per pound than their competitors due to losing more crops to outside forces than the conventional farmer will.

Do organic foods contain pesticides?

Organic foods do not contain any man-made pesticides. There are some growers who use natural chemicals found in plants and insects to protect their crops.

Why is there such a controversy over organic growing?

The controversies that have arisen involve food shortages and the toll organic farming takes on the land. With larger tracts of land being used, and less being produced due to loss, there is a shortage of available food or any surplus to be sent to countries in need of aid.

Another debate is the use of pesticides found naturally in nature. Organic farming forbids the use of man-made pesticides. Unfortunately the naturally occurring pesticides are not regulated or tested to determine if they have long term harmful effects. Okay so back to consumers, why do the consumers who prefer organic food prefer it. Well there are many reasons, some people think it tastes better, they believe that it’s safer, more nutritious, better for the environment or better for animal welfare. Some people simply just like it because they feel it is natural. Okay now for the old question, is it better for you? Believe it or not scientific evidence actually doesn’t state that organic food is truly better for you. Even the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) has recently published a comprehensive 128-page review which concludes that there is no difference in terms of food safety and nutrition. Also, the Swedish National Food Administration’s recent research report finds no nutritional benefits of organic food. The Consumers’ Association in its report in Which? magazine for May 2003 concludes that there is 'no consensus' on reports linking organic foods to health benefits.

But the largest difference between organic and non organic foods is how they are made. Okay so organic foods the pros, it is purposively all natural, no pesticides, organic foods are also free of additives such as MSG, hydrogenated fats, and artificial sweeteners and colours. As well organic food are also very high in vitamin C. Anyways you can pretty much make the choice, as I have given you a few different opinions. But if you are indeed fortunate enough to have access to fresh, organically grown produce, the next time you're given the choice between lower priced conventionally grown food or higher priced organic, just ask yourself: What exactly is included in the price?