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Every day a new study or report comes out questioning the safety of the food supply in the United States. The one consistent throughout is that organic foods are not exposed to the chemicals, growth hormones and safety practices used by the largest food producers and processors. While the USDA explicitly states that it “does not claim that organic foods are safer, healthier or more nutritious than conventional ones,” the facts lead one to a different conclusion.
Organic is defined as “a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. These methods integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used.”
Food labeled as “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.
Firman Bear of Rutgers University did a study that proved that the nutrition of organic produce is much, much higher than non-organic. For example, organic tomatoes contain 9x the calcium, 15x the magnesium, 3x the potassium, 68x the manganese, 2,000x the iron and 53x the copper of the non-organic alternative.
There are twelve fruits and vegetables known as “the dirty dozen” where you should always eat organic because of the amount of pesticides needed to grow them. They include: spinach, potatoes, celery, bell peppers, apples, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries and strawberries. With each, it is nearly impossible to wash away all of the pesticides.
There are some fruits and vegetables that do not need to be organic: papayas, bananas, kiwi, mangoes, pineapples, avocados, onions, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, frozen sweet peas and frozen sweet corn. With each, save the money and buy the less expensive alternative.
Be happy on the inside, eat organic whenever possible.