Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano

When organic food first hit the market, you could usually only find it at health-conscious stores, but now you can find organic foods everywhere, and many more people are going organic. So, why are so many people willing to spend extra cash for organic groceries, and is it really a good investment?

Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano registered dietitian Megan Moore says that if you can afford it, than organic is a great way to go. “For some people it just comes down to a financial decision, but choosing foods that are free of pesticides, can only help your health,” says Moore.

While there is debate over whether or not organic foods are better than conventional foods, most professionals agree that the health benefits of consuming a high number of fruits and vegetables in your diet are more important that buying organic foods. 

What does organic mean anyway?

You have probably seen many foods labeled, free-range, hormone free or natural, and all these various terms can be confusing.

“In order for a food to be legally considered organic and to bear the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic seal, foods must be grown and produced based on USDA standards that incorporate restrictions on levels of residues of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics,” says Moore. However, natural pesticides as opposed to synthetic pesticides can be used on organic food.

Here are a few tips for label reading when you’re searching for organic items: 

• Food tagged as 100 percent organic have no synthetic ingredients.
• If a food claims to be organic, then it must be comprised of 95% organic ingredients.
• Food marked as made with organic ingredients is required to contain 70% organic ingredients.
• If you find meat, eggs or poultry labeled organic, then the animals providing the product must have not received antibiotics or growth hormones.

Is organic food more nutritious than non-organic food?

The verdict is still out.  Studies show very few differences in nutrient content between organic and conventional produce thus far.  And it is difficult to make comparisons in nutrient content because there are so many variables in play, including growing conditions, mineral content of the soil, fertilizer sources, minerals naturally present in the water, plant cultivar, and growing region (1,2).  More research is needed to determine whether significant differences exist in nutrient content of organic and conventional produce, meats, and dairy products.

Is organic food safer to eat?

All foods in the United States are regulated under U.S. food safety laws and regulations, regardless of production method.  The USDA and other data sources show pesticide residues on most products are well below government-established thresholds, although typically are lower in organic products (1). Reports of contamination of produce by Escherichia coli show higher levels in organic produce, although the difference was not statistically significant (2). Other studies have documented that using animal manure fertilizer in organic production and “low input” farming increases the risk of contamination of fresh produce with E. coli, Salmonella and other enteric pathogens (3,4).  Both conventional and organic foods have been targets of foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls. Overall, both conventional and organic foods have good food safety records.

References:

(1) Gold MV. Should I purchase organic foods? USDA Alternative Farming Systems Information

Center. Available at www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/faq/BuyOrganicFoodsIntro.shtml.

Accessed September 25, 2009.

(2) Mukherjee A, Speh D, Dyck E, Diez-Gonzalez F. Preharvest evaluation of coliforms,

Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in organic and conventional

produce grown by Minnesota farmers. J Food Protect. 2004; 67: 894-900.

(3) Mukherjee A, Speth D, Diez-Gonzalez F. Association of farm management practices with risk

of Escherichia coli contamination in pre-harvest produce grown in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Intl J Food Microbiol. 2007; 3: 296-302.

(4) Leifert C, Cooper JM, Volakakis N, Ball K. Control of enteric pathogens in ready-to-eat

vegetable crops in organic and ‘low input’ production systems: a HACCP-based approach. J

Applied Microbiol. 2008; 105: 931-950.