In an effort to grow more fruits and vegetables at a lower cost, many farmers have come to rely on pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals ward off various of bugs and invasive plants that would eat crops or crowd out the intended harvest. The problem is, no one’s certain whether they damage human health. Some weed killers, including glyphosate, have been linked to cancer and found in detectable levels in various food products, including cereal.
Though pesticides and herbicides are pervasive in the food system, some people want to limit their exposure to these chemicals. One way to do so is by choosing organic foods.
What’s Organic Mean?
To be USDA-certified organic, food items must meet regulations established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program. Organic foods must be produced without methods that modify the genetics of organisms or influence their growth and development in ways considered unnatural.
Rebekah Summer, a clinical dietitian with Providence Alaska Medical Center, in Anchorage, says that “there are a few different label variations in the United States” for organic food labels, which correlates to what percentage of the item is organic.” Here’s what the various labels mean:
- 100% organic or USDA-organic seal –these items contain certified 100% organic ingredients.
- Organic or USDA-organic seal – these items are made from at least 95% certified organic ingredients.
- Made with organic (food item) – this indicates that the product has been made with 70% or more organic ingredients.
- Specific organic ingredients – foods with less than 70% organic ingredients may list the specific organic ingredients on the item’s ingredient list.
Susan Berkman, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says that “if a food has a certified organic seal from the USDA, it means the product hasn’t been grown using any toxic or synthetic fertilizer, GMOs, antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones, and it’s free of artificial preservatives, artificial flavors and artificial colors.”
The organic term also extends to livestock and poultry, describing how animals have been raised. This includes:
- Whether the animals were fed organic foods.
- Animal welfare, such as the space an animal has to move and whether it has access to the outdoors.
- The use of antibiotics.
Overuse of antibiotics in meat production has been implicated in the increasing rate of antibiotic resistance among humans. In January 2017, the Food and Drug Administration determined that drugs used for human health can’t be used for growth promotion or feed efficiency in livestock. In other words, farmers and ranchers can’t use the same antibiotics your doctor would prescribe you for an infection to boost the growth of their animals.
More information about the USDA livestock and poultry standards is available on the USDA website. The USDA inspects farms where food is grown and raised to ensure that farmers follow the rules to produce organic food.
Alcohol can also be labeled as organic, provided the grains and other ingredients used to produce the beverage have been grown organically and meet the standards set by the USDA.
How to Starting Eating Organic
If you’re thinking of switching to eating more organic food items, Summer says, “it might be a good idea to start by asking yourself why you’re looking to switch. Foods labeled as organic do not eliminate the risk of foodborne illness, and they do not provide significantly more nutritional value.”
Nevertheless, if you’re looking to boost your intake of organic items, start with foods where the organic label makes more of a difference. Berkman suggests reviewing the “Dirty Dozen” list compiled by the Environmental Working Group. This is an annually updated list of the foods that tend to have the highest pesticide residue.
