Opting for organic foods over conventional has its benefits, but comes with higher costs. When it is really a must for health and environment reasons to go with the organic option, and when is it OK to save a few bucks and go with conventional? A special report from Time titled “Who Needs Organic Food?" looks at this issue in several installments.
Jeffrey Kluger starts the special package with the article, “What's So Great About Organic Food?" He said food purists tell consumers to buy organic, but the higher price may be why only about 3 percent of the total American market is organically grown. Nutrition levels is another issue keeping shoppers away from organic with recent studies finding no difference between conventional and organic food being reported in the press.
On the other hand, he noted, the American diet as it stands today is killing us and destroying the planet. America is in a health crisis; we eat too much, and the foods we do eat are terrible for us. The food industry uses a lot of greenhouse gasses to feed us those bad foods, and Mother Earth is suffering.
A big problem with the typical diet, he wrote is that Americans eat too much meat, and not enough fruit and vegetables. The few plants Americans do eat are laden with pesticides.
These concerns may have consumers thinking more about organic food choices. And, to add even more encouragement, Kluger wrote some studies have found organic produce is higher in phenolic acids and antioxidants. The taste of organic foods may also be superior, he added.
Next in the series is a video clip, “Farm vs. Supermarket," which is a taste test of organic versus conventional foods. Time asked eight food experts to try two versions of a standard product in their field of expertise. The organic or small-farm product won more often than not, with the tasters preferring this version of chicken, steak, white nectarines, tomatoes, pork and eggs. Organic versus conventional for carrots and goat cheese were a draw.
Next, the Times staff offered a broader look at conventional versus organic in a number of food choices. They gave pros and cons to buying each type, and decided organic was the better option for eggs, milk and steak. However, they opted for conventional fruits and veggies.
In a closing article, “The Organic Alternative," Dr. Mehmet Oz, said our food system has gone haywire, with many changes in the past few decades. However, our digestive tracks have not evolved in the same way. Some food additives have had great benefits to our health, and modern technologies have greatly reduced food-borne illnesses. Still, modern food chemicals have also caused their damage. He recommended people pay more foods that contain reduced chemicals.
However, he noted the cost can be high, so he offered shortcuts to getting the benefits of organic without the cost, including avoiding synthetic colorants; choosing foods without labels; washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly, especially peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and nectarines; peeling fruit if possible; and buying seasonal produce.