Organic food products are popping up all around the grocery store from the produce, to the beverages to the snack aisles. To help shoppers understand common organic questions, nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle answers readers’ questions in her San Francisco Chronicle column.
The first question she tackles is “What is the difference between ‘100% organic’ and ‘organic’?” She replies that “Certified 100% Organic” means that all ingredients in a product have been grown or raised according to USDA’s organic standards and “Certified Organic” requires that 95 to 99 percent of the ingredients are organic.
The second question is “How do we know ‘organic’ truly reflects our beliefs?” She takes this question to be about sustainability. USDA organic standards do not address how sustainable the farming practices are. She says this is probably because USDA has a conflict of interest. USDA's main job is to promote industrial agriculture, most of which is not organic. According to USDA, organics are different, but not better than, conventionally-grown foodstuffs.
The third question is, “Do food companies use the word ‘organic’ in the same way they use ‘health’?” Nestle answers food marketers take advantage of public perceptions that organic implies sustainability and better nutrition, even when the products are not sustainable or nutritious. She says organic junk food is free of synthetic pesticides, but still have empty calories.
“Which is worse: eating non-organic produce full of pesticides or not eating produce at all?” is the next question and she says the health benefits from eating conventional fruits and vegetables appear to outweigh any risks of pesticide consumption.
The next question: “Is organic food nutritionally worth its higher cost?” Nestle answers that without testing each piece of produce, it’s difficult to tell if organics are nutritionally better, but studies have shown that they are. She says, “If you believe, as I do, that growing foods according to organic practices is better for the environment, then paying more is worth it if you can afford to.”
The last question she answers is if organic shoppers are elitists. She replies that most social movements began with the elites in society, including the civil rights, environmental and women's movements, and the organic movement is no exception. She says as supply of organic foods increases, the prices should go down.