Weighing the value of organic foods
Food produced without most conventional pesticides or fertilizers are perceived to be more healthful, but scientists have yet to offer proof.
With the recession breathing down our necks, many people are looking for ways to cut the household budget without seriously compromising family well-being. So here's a suggestion: If you buy organic fruits and vegetables, consider switching to less pricey non-organic produce instead.
Hold the e-mails and hear me out: There really is no proof that organic food, which costs about a third more, is better than the conventionally grown stuff.
It may seem, intuitively, that crops grown without pesticides should be better for us and that food grown the old-fashioned way, by rotating crops and nurturing the soil naturally, would be superior to food that is mass-produced and chemically saturated.
Many people feel that way. Annual sales of organic food and beverages grew from $1 billion in 1990 to well over $20 billion in 2007, according to the Organic Trade Assn., an industry group.
But the truth is that, from a hard-nosed science point of view, it's still unclear how much better -- if at all -- organic food is for one's health than non-organically grown food.
"Organic" means food grown without most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website (usda.gov). To carry the "organic" seal, a product must be certified as having been produced according to federal regulations. Small farmers are exempt.
Prepared food made with organic ingredients also tends to be processed more gently, with fewer chemical additives, said Charles Benbrook, an agricultural economist who is chief scientist at the Organic Center. The nonprofit research group is based in Boulder, Colo., and is supported by the organic food industry.
But the word "organic" has not been designated as an official health claim by the government. Such a designation is used only when there is evidence of significant health benefits -- and so far, that evidence is lacking for organic food.
It's clear, however, that conventionally grown food has remnants of pesticides on it. A 2002 study in the journal Food Additives and Contaminants showed that there were more pesticide residues on conventional than organically grown food, even after the food was washed and prepared. There's also clear evidence that pesticides can enter the body in other ways, a major reason that Environmental Protection Agency regulations exist to keep farm workers from entering recently sprayed fields.
- Health Food Samples Loaded With Pesticide Residues Sep 30, 1990
- Traces of Pesticide Found in Baby Food, Groups Say Jul 26, 1995
- Tests Fail to Detect Half of Pesticides, Study Says Oct 04, 1988
