What does “organic” mean?

Organic produce means that the product and the ingredients in it are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation.  Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and related products do not take any antibiotics or growth hormones.

This is how the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic:

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. 

Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

To Buy or Not to Buy Organic

As the organic produce seems to have many benefits and it is regulated to satisfy many criteria to qualify as organic, is it worth it for us to buy organic produce?

Food journalist and former professional chef Cindy Burke writes in the introduction of her book: "Organic food can be so expensive and difficult to find that I always wondered if I was spending my money wisely. I decided to become informed, really informed, about the options — organic, conventional, local, sustainable — so that I could choose the healthiest, safest food available."

Is Organic Food Better?

"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.  Organic food is definitely safer in terms of pesticides you might eat with the food you take. 

A large-scale study done by the Consumers Union includes tests from more than 94,000 food samples and 20 different crops.  It was found that organically grown crops consistently had about two-thirds fewer pesticide residues than the conventionally grown counterparts. Organic foods also were far less likely to contain residues of more than one pesticide.

One safety concern that has been raised about organic food is the use of manure fertilizers. Some critics worry that the use of manure to fertilize organic crops might increase the risk of contamination by dangerous microbes.

"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 have strict rules on the composting and application of manure. 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," said by the Organic Trade Association's DiMatteo. She provided 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.

Despite the concerns of bad bacteria or pesticide residues, experts generally agree that the best practice to protect 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.

The Benefits of Organic Food

The standards of organic food provide the way how organic foods should be grown. The way that it is grown has a significant impact on people’s health as well as the environment. Because of the way it is grown, organic foods often have more good nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts.  People with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or disappear when they eat only organic foods.  The ingredients in organic food can offer more health-related benefits to us.  Let’s take a look at the several main benefits of organic foods.

Organic food is GMO-free

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered (GE) foods are plants whose DNA has been altered in ways that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding, most commonly in order to be resistant to pesticides or produce an insecticide.  There are unknown factors involved in eating GMO foods.  I would prefer to eat foods without GMO ingredients.

Organic food contains fewer pesticides. 

Chemicals such as fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides are widely used in conventional agriculture.  When foods are produces with these conventional agriculture products, the residues remain in the products will be included in the food we eat, and thus we eat more chemicals comparing to organically produced food.

Organic food is often fresher 

Organic food is fresher because it doesn’t contain preservatives that make it last longer. Organic produce is often (but not always, so watch where it is from) produced on smaller farms near where it is sold, and so it tends to be fresher because it takes a shorter time to transport.

Organic farming is better for the environment. 

Organic farming practices reduce the chance of pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and it uses less energy.  Farming without pesticides is also better for nearby animals and bugs as well as people who live close to farms.

Organic meat and milk are richer in certain nutrients. 

Results of a 2016 European study show that levels of certain nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, were up to 50 percent higher in organic meat and milk than in conventionally raised versions.  Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that are important in preventing and managing heart disease.

The Clean 15

It’s good to know that you don’t need to buy all foods organic. The Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides has a "Clean 15" list of the 15 types of produce lowest in pesticides. Save your money for the other organic produce and buy the conventional versions of these:

1. Onions

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapples

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Cantaloupe — domestic

10.  Kiwi

11.  Cabbage

12.  Watermelon

13.  Sweet potatoes

14.  Grapefruit

15.  Mushrooms

Cindy Burke’s book of To Buy or Not to Buy Organics

For things that are other than the Clean 15, it is still good to consider buying organic products.  Author Cindy Burke conducted investigations of organic goods.  Burke’s book gives information of you how to choose the healthiest, safest, most earth-friendly food, as you make your way through the supermarket, your local farmer’s market, or your natural foods store. The books highlights include: 

• Making sense of the choices presented by organic, local, sustainable, minimally treated, grass-fed and cage-free foods. 

• Reducing your exposure to pesticides. 

• Save money by knowing the foods you want to eat only if they’re organic and the foods that are pesticide-free even when they are nonorganic.

• Protecting your child’s health from pesticides An at-a-glance shopper’s guide to more than 100 foods.