I'm going to cut to the chase here and tell you that I believe this is one of the best pieces I have read about "organic" yet. Thanks to Jeanne' McCartin
http://www.seacoastonline.com/oastonline.com/for letting me reprint it.
Jeanne's article:
Ok, so here it is, the promised column on organic. The questions I'm asked most about organic food is "What's it all about?" Good one.
Then there's "Is it better for you, or more nutritious?" Or "Can I swim more laps, live longer, or die sooner sans all those preservatives?" OK, so I made up the last three. But, these questions are similar to ones posed. And the answer is, there is no straight-forward answer.
First. The word "organic" on a label or product does not promise you better health. Does it mean it's not healthier? No. I didn't say that. It means it's not a promise. See, all organic labels are not created equal. There is both the natural-state versus processed food issue, and then percentages. But, first some simple info.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has regulated the use of the word organic, creating four categories.
There is "100 percent organic," which is pretty much what it says — 100 percent — pure, so to speak.
Then there's "organic," which must consist of at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Any remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the national list or non organically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form.
Both "100 percent organic" and "organic" categories may carry the USDA Organic Seal.
The next label is "made with organic." This denotes that at least 70 percent of the content is organic. The front product panel may display the phrase "made with organic" followed by up to three specific ingredients. The example given by the USDA is: soup made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients and only organic vegetables may be labeled either "soup made with organic peas, potatoes, and carrots," or "soup made with organic vegetables." This category can list the percentage of organic content and the
certifying agent seal or mark on the principal display panel. However, the USDA seal cannot be used anywhere on the package.
The next group is products with less than 70 percent organic content. These items may list only those ingredients that are organic on the ingredient panel with no mention of organic on the main panel.
So remember — if you don't see a seal on that package, you're not getting 95 percent to 100 percent organic. If that's what you're looking for, you need to look for the white and green USDA organic emblem.
The next question of course is what is organic food? It's food that's raised without the use of bio-persistent nonselective chemical pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers, says the pick-your-own farmer's Web site. The specifics vary depending upon the type of food and its method of production. For example, organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineer seed or plants; or ionizing radiation.
Is it more nutritious? Let me answer that one with a question. Have you read your labels today?
"It depends on the product," says Geoffrey Njue, extension educator for Agricultural Resources for the UNH cooperative extension program, Strafford County. "Organic means the product has not been produced with use of conventional pesticides and fertilizers. It's not necessarily going to be healthier than conventional, but less exposure to things like pesticides." It does not make nor insure any nutritious value.
The fact is, processed, organic food can be just as bad for you as any other. No amount of organic is going to make a product low-cal when sugar is the first ingredient in the panel. The same goes for fat content. Eat too much oil, sugar, salt and other less beneficial ingredients and it's going to take the same toll on you as its non-organic sister will.
What about unprocessed foods, a straight-up apple? "I don't think it's more nutritious. A broccoli is a broccoli no matter what," says Njue.
But there are studies that indicate organic foods might have more nutritional value, says Connie Diekman, M.Ed., R.D., director of university nutrition at Washington University in Saint Louis, Mo., in a recent CNN.com article. But the research is scant, and more is needed before that's a given.
What organic does mean is the food was grown without some nasty stuff — chemicals. And that can't be bad. There are some pretty potent chemicals used in our food chain. Logic would say buying 100 percent — which translates to no chemicals — would/could — benefit a body, not to mention the environment.
So the rule of thumb here is decide how much chemical you want with that apple juice. Then watch the label — 100 percent, organic (95-percent or less), or "made with organic" (70 percent or less). As for the nutrition issues — read that label!
House Detective Jeanné McCartin can be reached at
maskmakernh@aol.com
