Organic - It’s a Matter of Preference

Consumers spent more than $13 million buying organic food in 2005, a more than 16 percent increase than the previous year. So, should you buy organic? Even if it costs more? Is organic food healthier and safer? Here’s how to decide what’s right for you.

What’s it really mean?
First off, with all the lingo used on food labels today and all the new organic products on the market, it’s sometimes tough to tell exactly what you’re eating. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture has set labeling criteria for organic foods, making it easier to shop smart. Here’s what you need to know to be an educated, um, consumer.

The “100 percent organic” label means that 100 percent of the ingredients (excluding water and salt) in the food were produced organically. According to the USDA, that means they were produced without conventional pesticides, ionizing radiation or other methods the agency deems non-organic.

The “organic” label means that at least 95 percent of the ingredients (excluding water and salt) were produced organically. The ingredients making up the remaining 5 percent may only be nonagricultural substances on an FDA-approved list or products that are not commercially available in an organic form.

However, that little 5 percent has received a lot of attention lately. The USDA recently approved 38 new non-organic ingredients for use in organic foods (several food colorings, two starches, hops, sausage casings, fish oil, chipotle chili pepper, gelatin, celery powder, dillweed oil, frozen lemongrass, wakame seaweed, Turkish bay leaves and whey protein concentrate). Many critics feel that approving so many new non-organic ingredients will seriously reduce consumer confidence in organic standards. Likewise, there is debate about how to define if an ingredient is commercially available in an organic form. Some argue that it’s too easy for major food producers to say the necessary quantity of an organic ingredient is unavailable. And the USDA has no definitive rules addressing this matter; it depends on its 96 licensed certifying agent organizations to decide for themselves if a product is available in organic form.

“Organic meat” or “organic poultry” refers to animals that have been raised on organically grown feed. Organically raised animals may not be given growth hormones or other drugs to stimulate growth, and may not be given antibiotics for any reason. The animals also must have access to the outdoors.

“Organic milk” comes from cows that have been raised under continuous organic management at least a year before the production of milk. Certification for organic dairy production is a multistep process. Crop and production methods must conform to USDA organic standards. Grazing land must not have had any synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides applied for the previous three years, and it must conform to other USDA organic standards. No antibiotics may be used to treat milking cows; treated animals must be removed from the herd. The milking herd and young stock must have outside access year round, weather permitting.

Products labeled “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot use the term “organic” on the main display panel but may identify organic ingredients on the information panel.

Benefits of eating organic
According to the USDA, there is no broad-based scientific evidence that organic food is healthier than conventionally grown food. The American Dietetic Association says that even though the methods used to grow organic food generally use lower levels of pesticides, there’s still no scientific evidence that proves organic food is healthier or safer than conventionally grown food.

While organic foods are no different nutritionally speaking than conventionally grown foods, they do offer some benefits, including:

• Many people argue that due to the small size of many organic farms, growers are often better able to harvest produce at optimal ripeness, thus ensuring flavorful fruits and vegetables.
• Organic agriculture’s strict growing and handling standards limit your exposure to long-lasting chemicals.
• Organic produce is grown and produced in ways that support the environment.

Moving organic into the mainstream
Looking to incorporate organic foods into your lifestyle? One of the easiest ways to start is by swapping some of the foods you already eat for their organic counterparts. Try these:

• ShopRite Organic eggs
• ShopRite Organic milk
• ShopRite Organic fruit juices
• ShopRite Organic frozen mixed vegetables
• ShopRite Organic peanut butter

For more information on our ShopRite Organic line, click here