You're trying to eat healthy, and you know that means choosing
plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. But as you wander
the aisles of your local market, checking out the fresh produce, meats, and
dairy products, you realize there's another choice to make: Should you buy
organic?
Advocates say organic food is safer, possibly more nutritious,
and often better tasting than non-organic food. They also say organic
production is better for the environment and kinder to animals.
And more and more shoppers seem convinced. Even though organic
food typically costs more --sometimes a lot more -- sales are steadily
increasing.
"We've had a strong 20%-a-year growth rate since 1990,"
says Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association
(OTA). She also says more land is going into organic production all the time --
up to 2.35 million acres in 48 states as of 2001.
But many experts say there's not enough evidence to prove any
real advantage to eating organic foods.
"There's really very limited information in people on
actual health outcomes with consumption of these products," says David
Klurfeld, PhD, chairman of the department of Nutrition and Food Science at
Wayne State University in Detroit. "We don't know enough to say that one is
better than the other."
So before you decide whether organic food is worth the price of
admission, let's take a look at the issues.
What Qualifies as Organic?
Before October 2002, states followed varying rules for
certifying and labeling organic products. But now all organic foods are grown
and processed according to strict national standards set by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture.
To meet these standards, organic crops must be produced without
conventional pesticides (including herbicides), synthetic fertilizers, sewage
sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Organically raised animals must
be given organic feed and kept free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Organic
farm animals must have access to the outdoors, including pastureland for
grazing.
If a food has a "USDA organic" label, it contains at
least 95 percent organic ingredients, and a government-approved expert has
inspected the farm where it was produced to make sure the farmer follows USDA
requirements.
"Before the standards went into effect, you never knew what
you were getting," says Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD, director of nutrition
for the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic. "My comment to people always used to be,
'Buyer beware,' so I'm thrilled that now we as consumers can be confident that
when we buy something organic, it really does adhere to certain established
standards."
Is Organic Food Safer?
"If you're talking about pesticides, the evidence is pretty
conclusive. Your chances of getting pesticide residues are much less with
organic food," says John Reganold, professor of soil science at Washington
State University in Pullman, Wash.
Reganold points to a large-scale study done by the Consumers
Union. Researchers looked at data from more than 94,000 food samples and 20
different crops. They found that organically grown crops consistently had about
one-third as many pesticide residues as the conventionally grown versions.
Organic foods also were far less likely to contain residues of more than one
pesticide.
Even so, the amount of man-made pesticide residues found in
conventional foods is still well below the level that the Environmental
Protection Agency has deemed unsafe. The real issue is whether these small
doses, over years and decades, might add up to an increased health risk down
the line.
"Is it going to make a difference? I don't know," says
Reganold. "But it's something to think about, and we're the guinea
pigs."
Man-made pesticides aren't the only threats to food safety.
There is also the question of natural toxins produced by the plants themselves.
In this arena, conventional foods may actually have the advantage.
Because organic production steers clear of synthetic
insecticides and herbicides, organic crops usually contend with more pests and
weeds than conventional crops. This means the organic plants may produce more
natural toxins.
"Plants can't get up and walk away. If they're being
attacked, they've got to sit there and take it. So they may resort to their own
chemical warfare," explains Carl Winter, director of the FoodSafe program
and an extension food toxicologist at the University of California, Davis.
These natural pesticides could be just as harmful to people --
or even more so -- than the synthetic pesticides used in conventional
agriculture. One familiar example is solanine, a substance produced by potatoes
as they turn green, which can make you ill if you ingest too much of it.
Another safety concern that has been raised about organic food
is the issue of manure fertilizers. Some critics fear that using manure to
fertilize organic crops might increase the risk of contamination by dangerous
microbes like E. coli.
"The organic farmers talk about the soil being more alive
on organic farms than conventional farms. That life isn't just insects and
worms; it's loaded with bacteria," says Klurfeld.
But organic production standards do include strict rules on the
composting and application of manure. And there's little evidence that organic
food has bacterial contamination more often than conventional food.
"The organic system is the only one with agricultural
standards that prohibit the use of raw manure within a certain time frame
between harvests of crops for human consumption," says the Organic Trade
Association's DiMatteo. She adds that bacterial contamination usually happens
because of improper handling after the food has left the farm, and conventional
food is just as likely to be affected.
Whether the issue is bad bacteria or pesticide residues,
experts agree that the best way to safeguard yourself is to thoroughly rinse
all fruits and vegetables under running water. You should even wash
items with inedible skins, like melons and citrus fruits, because cutting the
rind with a knife can bring contaminants to the inside.
Is Organic Food More Nutritious?
Right now, no one can say for sure whether organic food is any
more nutritious than conventional food. A few studies have reported that
organic produce has higher levels of vitamin C, certain minerals, and
antioxidants -- thought to protect the body against aging, cardiovascular
disease, and cancer. But the differences are so small that they probably have
no impact on overall nutrition.
"So far nothing is definitive, but there really hasn't been
a lot of money expended on looking at the nutritional benefits of organic
products," says DiMatteo. She points out that studies done before the USDA
national standard went into effect are likely to be invalid, as there were then
no reliable controls on organic production methods.
There is one nutritional certainty, though. If you want to get
the most from your food, eat it while it's fresh.
"Nutrients like vitamin C do oxidize over time. So even
though the nutrients might be higher in organic food to begin with, if it's
sitting in your refrigerator, you could lose that benefit," says
Zelman.
Plus, fresh food just tastes better. This may be one reason
people sometimes report that organic foods have more flavor. Because organic
farms tend to be smaller operations, they often sell their products closer to
the point of harvest. So don't be surprised if the organic fruits and
vegetables in your market taste more "farm fresh" than the comparable
conventional produce.
Is It Worth the Cost?
Whether or not organic food really is safer or more nutritious,
advocates say there is one more compelling reason to go organic: The health of
the environment and society as a whole.
"Toxic and persistent pesticides do accumulate. They
accumulate in the soil; they accumulate in the water; they accumulate in our
bodies," says DiMatteo. "So by eliminating the use of these pesticides
and fertilizers in the organic production system, we are not contributing any
further to this pollution."
But food experts caution that while the big picture is
important, you must make the decision that makes the most sense for you.
If you can manage the higher price, and you like the idea of fewer pesticides
and a more environmentally friendly production system, organic food may be for
you. But don't skimp on healthy conventional foods just because you think you
need to save your pennies for the few organic items that you can afford.
"The best thing you can do for yourself is to eat lots of
fruits and vegetables and grains. And eat variety. From my perspective, it
doesn't matter whether they are organic or conventional," Winter says.
