This Green Life
A Journal of Sorts
IS ORGANIC FOOD WORTH IT?
Frequently Asked Questions
1) How can you be sure that food labeled "organic"really is organic?
Use of the term is regulated by theUnited States Department of Agriculture. In order to putthe word "organic" on a food label, thegrower or producer must get theproduct certified as organic by a USDA-accredited certifier. Those whoknowingly label or sell non-organicproducts as "organic" can be fined upto $11,000 for each violation.
2) What exactly does "organic"mean?
On a food label, "organic"means the food was produced withoutsynthetic pesticides or fertilizers,sewage sludge, genetic engineering orirradiation. In the case of animalproducts, it additionally means theanimal received no antibiotics orhormones and was fed organic feedcontaining no animal by-products. Anorganic label also means animals hadaccess to the outdoors, though "access" is not defined in a meaningfulway, which makes this the weakest provision of the regulations.
3) Are some foods with an "organic" label more organic thanothers?
Yes, among processed foods with multiple ingredients, thosedisplaying the USDA organic seal -- and/or called "organic" on the frontlabel -- have the most organic content: at least 95 percent. Those labeled"made with organic ingredients" on the front may be as little as 70percent organic. (The latter cannot display the USDA's organic seal, butmay display the logo of the certifying agent.)
4) Is organic food better for the environment?
Yes. By eliminatingmassive quantities of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers used inconventional farming, organic methods help protect the health of our air,water and soil. Another benefit of organic food is that it does not add tothe problem of antibiotic resistance -- which makes antibiotics ineffectivefor treating illness -- because antibiotic use in organically-raised animalsis not allowed.
5) Is organic food safer for you to eat?
Yes. Unlike conventionallyproduced food, organic food exposes you to no synthetic pesticides orgrowth hormones. Many of these substances have been proven to causecancer, birth defects and damage to the nervous and reproductivesystems in animal studies, though at higher levels than commonly foundin food. What has not been studied is whether exposure to low levels of these substances, individually or in combination -- as happens in the realworld as distinct from the lab -- also has adverse health effects. In theabsence of this information, the safest course is not to expose yourself tochemicals designed and proven to kill other forms of life. This is especiallytrue for children, as their developing nervous and endocrine systems putthem at much greater risk of harm than adults.
Sheryl Eisenberg
, a long-timeadvisor to NRDC, posts a newThis Green Life every month.Sheryl makes her home inTribeca (NYC), where
—
alongwith her children, Sophie andGabby, and husband, Peter
—
she tries to put herenvironmental principles intopractice. No fooling.. . .
Beware "Supermarket Pastoral"
-- a phrase coinedby Michael Pollan in hisfascinating book,
,to describe thebeguiling narratives of storybook farms found onmany food labels nowadays.Unfortunately, these storiesand pictures are often purefantasy. A number of privategroups have stepped into thebreach, with a variety of eco-labels. Visit ConsumerReports'Eco-labels Center for
a guide to the best.
The USDA Organic seal
guarantees that at least 95percent of the food'singredients are organic.
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