Organic Foods: What’s it Worth? What’s the big deal? Peanut butter is peanut butter, a cow is a cow, and all apples come from a tree. This may cross your mind when you hear about going organic. But the fact of the matter is, organic foods are not only better for you due to their nutritional make-up, but also for the environment because of their production practices. Along with their lack of pesticides, they contain higher amounts of many different vitamins and minerals. And what is better than helping your body and the environment at the same time? While you have probably heard the buzz about organic foods, I bet you could not tell someone the specific vitamins or minerals that are found in abundance in organic foods. I constantly hear that organic foods are better for me, and cannot help but wonder why exactly that is. Sure, one would think that a more natural, unprocessed food is better for their health without being given an explanation, but as the organic food industry grows, and the “all-natural food” fad continues, I want to know the facts. How do organic and conventional foods compare, both nutritionally and environmentally? What are the differences in the vitamin and mineral content of both, and what are each of their specific benefits? Why is one traditionally more expensive than the other? And finally, are organic foods indeed worth the extra expense as well as the hassle that may come with traveling to organic food stores? Also, you may have doubts about whether or not an item with the word “natural,” or “organic” really is what it says it is. Let’s put these doubts to rest and reach an understanding as to what is truly organic and what is just an all-too-common misunderstanding, and in some cases, a marketing scheme. I want to become a part of what one may consider a revolution in the way we eat, and I want you to as well. As young adults, our current lifestyles easily become lifelong habits. What you eat now can affect you for the rest of your life, so why not make it beneficial? Organic eggs, grass-fed beef, eco-friendly water bottles, all-natural peanut butter; the “Green Revolution” can be seen in just about every aspect of life, and what do those on the big screen have to say about this transformation? They are all for it. At the 2004 American Music Awards, instead of priceless gifts in well thought-out goodie bags filled with designer accessories and perfumes, celebrities were given organic treats; Annie’s Homegrown Organic Macaroni and Cheese (which from personal experience is delicious), organic coffee, organic Patagonia tote bags, and a number of other eco-friendly items. (“Hollywood Goes Organic”) “I try to eat well,” says Nicole Kidman, “only organic food.(“Nicole Kidman: Organic food & Organic diet”)” It is apparent that the talk of organic foods and the decision to turn away from conventional, pre-packaged and processed foods is slowly being applauded. Being USDA Organic Certified is not a simple term that can be plastered onto a jar or printed onto a box. There are specific regulations concerning production practices and materials. These were laid out in the Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. (“Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990” 2004) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not mess around when it comes to certification. In fact, on February 11, 2011 the USDA announced the distribution of an imitation National Organic Program (NOP) organic certificate by an uncertified operation, and released the name and location of the operation as well as the products that may be listed as organic under this operation. The penalty for a scheme such as this can be up to $11,000 per violation. (“USDA Issues Public Notice” 2011) Obviously, false advertisement when it comes to being declared organic is a no small matter. So, what makes a product organic? There are four categories for labeling organic products. “Less than 70 percent organic ingredients” are made up of a variety of ingredients, of which less than 70% are organic. “Made with [organic ingredients]” are products also made with a variety of ingredients; however, at least 70% of their ingredients are organic. In “Organic” products, at least 95% of the ingredients are organic, and “100% Organic” products contain 100% organic ingredients. (“Summary: The USDA National Organic Program Requirement for Food Retailers and Distributors’ 2002, pg 3) Also, the words “natural’ and “organic” cannot be used interchangeably because natural and organic products are not the same. Organic indicates that something was produced within the guidelines set out by the USDA. For example, they are produced without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides. The term “natural,” however, is intended for products that are made from things found in nature, but the term has no correlation with pesticides, growth hormones, additives etc. Regardless of what the general public thinks, the term natural is very loose in the food industry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only claim to regulate three things when it comes to labeling a product as natural; added color, synthetic substances, and flavors. (“Natural vs Organic” 2006) This means that although foods are labeled with the word “natural,” they may still contain the very chemicals organic foodies are trying to avoid. With this said, keep in mind that “organic” is always a more reliable label than “natural.” If a farmer wishes to receive certification for an organic farm, they must first apply for certification into the program. This process includes creating an organic plan as well as complying with an annual inspection. Their crops cannot be treated with any synthetic chemicals or poisons, and if the farm land is adjacent to a non-organic farm or non-organic farmland, adequate buffer zones must be provided between the lands. Also, in order for farm land to be considered organic, they must comply with organic standards 3 years prior to the crops official recognition as organic. (“Organic Foods Production Act of 1990” 3) In order for livestock to be considered organic, it must be fed organic feed and should not be given growth promoters or hormones, as well as no antibiotics. Also, no medication is to be given to the livestock, excluding vaccinations, when illness is not present. Also, livestock used for dairy products must be handled in compliance with the certification standards at least 12 months before the milk, or milk products are sold. (“Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990” 6) These regulations are certainly not all that are listed within the Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, but provide an efficient representation of what certification entails. As mentioned earlier, organic certification entails that no synthetic fertilizers and/or pesticides be used in organic production. However, this does not mean to say that organic agriculture is 100% pesticide free. Although they are produced with more sustainable practices, they are still susceptible to synthetic material exposure. For example, although 3 years of organic practices are required before official certification, “leftover” pesticide can still reside in the soil and in turn, be picked up by the new, organic crops. Also, unless grown in a greenhouse, organic crops are vulnerable to windblown chemicals from surrounding farm land. Any pesticide residue in the U.S. that is a result of this is monitored by the Pesticide Data Program of the USDA. While it may seem as though their susceptibility would entail little difference between the resulting organic products and conventional products, data from the Pesticide Data Program, along with data from Consumers Unions and the Marketplace Surveillance Program of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has found that organically raised foods have been found to carry one-third the amount of chemical residue as conventional products. Also, organic produce has been found to have one half the amount of chemical residue as the produce grown with integrated pest management techniques which are aimed toward lower, more acceptable quantities of pesticide use. (Crinnion 6)Note though, that products grown under integrated pest management techniques arenot organic. These farmers are simply involved in a transition to less chemical use, with more reliance on biological pest controls and/or crop rotation to aid in their pest management. The U.S. uses approximately 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year. (Crinnion 6) 5 billion pounds were used worldwide in 2000 and 2001, and less than .1% of these pesticides reached their actual target pests. In 2008, the USDA conducted tests which revealed that 70.3 percent of the produce samples tested had pesticide contamination, and one in every 10 fruit and vegetable samples were contaminated with five to 13 different pesticide residues. (“Top Reasons…” 2008) You may be wondering if these pesticides are actually reaching our bodies in amounts that are detectable. In 2009, the Center for Disease Control(CDC) and Prevention’s national biomonitoring program found that in 95.6 percent of their over 5,000 person sample with ages six and older, pesticides were detected in blood and urine samples. Of the 21 chemical indicators corresponding to 28 pesticides that have been found on fruits and vegetables, 60 percent of Americans tested carried at least seven. (“Top Reasons” 2008) Organophosphates are a particular form of pesticide that is of great importance when analyzing the harmful effects of these synthetic chemicals. These forms of pesticides block acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that stops nerve cells from firing. When this enzyme is prohibited, long term nervous system, which controls your eyes, ears, and sensory organs associated with taste, smell, your skin, joints, muscles, and more (“About the Nervous System”), can be a result. (“Top Reasons” 2008) Just last year, in May of 2010, Harvard University researchers found the CDC’s data on organophpsphate pesticide exposure from 2000 to 2004, which was taken from a sample of 1,139 eight to 15 year olds, revealed that every tenfold increase in an organophosphate known as dimethyl alkylphosphate, was related to a 55 to 72 percent increase in the odds of attention deficit hyperactive disorder(ADHD) (“Top Reasons…”). Also, a study was conducted by the Department of Environmental Health within the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington in 2003(Curl, CL) in which 39 preschoolers were divided into two groups; children whose diets consisted of at least 75% organic products, and children whose diets were made up of mostly conventional products. The children whose diets were high in organic content had a lower level of organophosphate pesticide residue in their urine. When the children whose diets were high in conventional foods were asked to increase their consumption of organic food, the measure of malathion and chlorpyrifos, both organophosphates, in their urine became undetectable. (Crinnion 8) The link between higher pesticide measurements within the body and produce consumption was also found in a study by Chensheng Lu from Emory University. His findings concluded that concentrations of organophosphates in elementary age children, including chlorpyrifos and malathion mentioned above, were found to be higher during the summer, when their consumption of fresh fruit increased. And when these children switched to an all-organic diet, they became “essentially pesticide-free.” (“Top Reasons…) Even if organic foods did not contain the dangerous pesticides that they do, their nutritional value is tremendous as is. Iron and magnesium are two minerals that are absolutely critical to body function, both of which are found in a significantly higher abundance in organic foods. A study conducted by Denis Lairon, an associate director of the web journal known as Nutrition and Metabolism, and also a professor at the University of the Mediterranean in France(“Editorial Board”), found that there is 21% more iron and 29 % more magnesium in organic foods versus conventional foods. (Crinnion 5) Iron is a mineral found in the body that is essential to specific proteins that are involved in oxygen transportation to cells, making it vital for normal function and energy levels needed to complete even the simplest of tasks. Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body. Magnesium is involved in many bodily functions including blood sugar regulation, immune system support, muscle and nerve maintenance, and it is even beneficial to bone strength. Ascorbic acid, most commonly known as vitamin C, which is a vitamin that must be consumed as the body does not store it, has an incredibly important function within our body: repair. It has been suggested that vitamin C can slow the process of artery hardening, or atherosclerosis, which ultimately results in a heart attack or stroke. It also decreases one’s risk of high blood pressure and even some cancers. It makes up a key component of cartilage, called collagen, therefore those who take vitamin C supplements are less often diagnosed with osteoarthritis. (“Vitamin and Minerals Supplement Fact Sheets”) All-in-all, vitamin C aids in the body’s immune system, vision, blood sugar regulation, and many other functions, and lucky for organic food-eaters, it is the vitamin that is most commonly found in a higher abundance in organic foods. There is an average of 27% more vitamin C in organic foods than conventional foods. As these nutrients have been found in higher contents in organic foods, it has been found that their existence in conventionally processed foods has actually decreased over the past 50 years. Also, while fish are known for their high levels of omega-3s, organically raised dairy cattle have been shown to produce milk containing more of these essential fatty acids. (Crinnion 7) Omega-3 fatty acids are similar to vitamin C in that the body does not store or produce them, therefore they must be taken in. These essential fatty acids are an important aspect of brain and memory performance, as well as inflammation control. It may also lower one’s risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis. (“Vitamin and Minerals Supplement Fact Sheets”) Along with an increased amount of omega-3 fatty acids, consumption of organic milk has also been found to decrease children’s risk of eczema, a skin disorder, by approximately 36%. (Crinnion 9) Given the risks of conventional foods due to pesticide use, the belief and supportive research focusing on increased vitamin and mineral content, as well as personal experience concerning accessibility and price of organic foods, I feel that while a 100% transformation from conventional foods is not necessary, however eating organic foods when given the opportunity, or perhaps pursuing more opportunities to purchase organic foods, is well worth the slight expense when it comes to time and money. There are several franchise stores, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and The Fresh Market for example, that specialize in providing the general public with organic foods at reasonable prices. Even the common grocery stores, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, etc., provide varieties of organic products. Next time you are shopping around at one of the common grocery stores just listed, take a look at the “price look-up codes” on the produce. There are more than 1,300 codes assigned to produce, and they each mean something different. Organically grown produce will has a five digit code starting with the number nine. Conventionally grown produce has a four digit number beginning with a three or four, and genetically modified produce has a five digit number that begins with an eight. (“How to Read Food Labels” 2006) You may be wondering, how can I become involved in the organic revolution on UNC’s campus? For starters, next time you visit Ram’s Head Dining Hall, check out the organic roasted veggies in the vegetarian section which are provided daily. And try the grass-fed burgers that are made on occasion. Are you a coffee feign? Drop by the Daily Grind in the UNC Student Store and try a cup of their organic coffee, or pick up a Clif or Luna by Clif energy bar. Both are made with organic products. And next time you are shopping in the grocery store, opt for the organic product on the shelf next to the conventional product you normally purchase. It is not hard to get involved, even if it is just slightly. Happy eating. Works Cited “About the Nervous System”. The Ohio State University Medical Center. Web. 3 March 2011. Arnold, Damon Quinn, Pat. “Organophosphates.” Illinois Department of Health Emergency Preparedness. Web. 22 February 2011. Crinnion, Walter J. “Organic Foods Contain Higher Levels of Certain Nutrients, Lower Levels of Pesticides, and May Provide Health Benefits for the Consumer.” Alternative Medicine Review. 15.1 (2010): 4-12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 January 2011. Curl CL, Fenske RA, Elgethun K. “Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure of Urban and Suburban Preschool Children with Organic and Conventional Diets.” Environmental Health Perspectives. 111.3 (March 2003) Web. 3 March 2011. “Editorial Board.” Nutrition and Metabolism. 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