OPINION & EDITORIAL
Organic food: Deliciously safe
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by Letters to the Editor
Monday, December 10, 2007
Organic food is, overall, best in quality and safety
for consumption. According to John Cloud in a 2007 issue of Time magazine, 25
percent of Americans are buying organic today. There are more than a few
reasons that we all should be buying organic. First, law regulates organic
foods; they are not allowed to have pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones or
genetically modified organisms; organic food protects animal rights, and
organic simply tastes better.
What is organic exactly? According to the USDA,
organic is defined by the following: "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. 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." There are also different levels of organic
composition. Ninety-five to 100 percent organic products are allowed to have an
organic seal. To be labeled "made with organic ingredients," the product must
be 70-94 percent organic.
Every part of production must meet the requirements of the Organic Foods Protection Act. Many experts believe the pesticides and other toxins we ingest through food are not harmful to our health. One theory, however, says that pesticides are much more harmful to children because they eat a much larger percentage of their body weight. Foods containing the most pesticides are peaches, nectarines, peppers and spinach. There is also a growing trend in organic dairy because of the recent addition of the recumbent bovine growth hormone or rBGH in the 1990s, which has potential imunogenetic affects: an increased risk of cancers and early onset puberty in young girls.
Some say organic is going "mainstream" and because of this
many are buying "locally" over organic, but many times local food is hard to
find and it has no guarantees. The most important thing is to be an educated
consumer and stay true to your values. The evidence is clear but the choice is
up to you. Although there are some downfalls, the benefits of organic food
definitely outweigh the costs. According to Julia Child, "You don't have to
cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food with fresh
ingredients." Certainly, organic food provides just this kind of quality.
bullocks. "Organic" is just a label. You really don't know, unless you're growing it yourself. Even then, you can't always know what kind of pesticides (etc) have blown onto or leached into your property. the lack of preservatives in organic foods can actually make them less safe to eat. "Organic food is, overall, best in quality and safety for consumption" organic food doesn't taste better, in fact its worse. if you don't believe me, just go out and try organic frozen waffles and compare them to eggos. you'll see what i mean. maggots are completely organic - and you'll end up eating some in your wonderfully organc food - lol If you don't want to eat organic food, just stay away from the labels. I'm willing to pay a little more because it takes more work to make food with real ingredients instead of bihydratetrachloridewhateverthefuck-9. There is clearly some debate over whether organics really are healthier, but I'm still sticking to the idea that you are what you eat.... but you don't have to. Buying Organic food when possible supports sustainable agriculture as opposed to supporting the giant GMO mono-cultures of agribusiness, it can help our society move toward more sustainable living. We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted. Not registered? Sign up now. It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 11:29am):
Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 12:50pm):
and as far as the chemicals used to treat non-organic foods being toxic, well, that topic has been debated for many years due to the flaws in the studies done to test them, namely the fact that the concentrations of chemicals used in the studies is ridiculously high when compared to the actual concentrations used.Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 3:30pm):
I'm guessing you haven't been taught the basics of writing before Ms. Bethmann. When you make a general statement like that, you are supposed to back it up with some evidence. I could just as easily say: Organic food is, overall, a massive fraud perpetrated on the American public. By the mere use of the word, the producers are making people believe that their products are healthier than other agricultural products, when any evidence that is true is lacking. The only thing that is necessarily clear is that the producers of organic crops are charging a premium for their food compared to other foods.
See what I did there? I flipped it. And without the evidence to back it up, my statement is just as valid as yours. Good talk. I'll see you out there.Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 4:19pm):
Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 4:54pm):
Anonymous (December 10, 2007 @ 6:41pm):
Anonymous (April 15, 2008 @ 1:48am):
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