BlogHer - How Much Do You Care About Buying and Eating Organic Food? - Comments

I care about buying organic because…

Nurit — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:23:41 -0500

Will I spray a bleach solution in my mouth as long as I am sane? No.

Will I swallow hormone pills if I don’t have to? No.

Will I take antibiotics when I am not sick and without a doctor’s prescription? No.

This is what I/you do when you don’t make a choice for organic food, or at least spray-free.Real food is more expensive than processed food. Produce is very expensive, and organic cost even more.

I think the more people buy organic, the prices will go down.The way I see it, there are enough factors today to make us ill – air pollution, stress, etc etc, we don’t need to add more to our bodies. My common sense tells me – I prefer to pay more for good food, than pay my doctor and suffer medical procedures.

I care for my and my family’s health. We can go on and on about this and do our homework/research etc, but my common sense says to me: eating pesticides, hormones and antibiotics is not good for me.

Also, I used to be a researcher in my previous career and I have learned that when a scientist wants to prove a point, they will find the data to support it. Same goes for the food producers and retailers. They want to sell you their products and will conduct a “research” to support their products. Same goes for the USDA. As I have seen in the movie “the Future of Food”, they have people with different interest working there. Some used to have jobs in big big food corporations before going to work for the USDA, so they have their own agenda. We, the little people, are not always the ones they see first and care about. We need to take care of ourselves and think what’s good for us.

I also feel passionate about supporting small local, family-owned farms/businesses. Because if we don’t, a few years down the road there will only be a few bigger then life corporations to sell us what they choose for us. We won’t have a freedom of choice on the quality of the products. That is not a good thing.

I wrote a few posts on my blog relating to the subject: Green blackberries are red

Farmed Tilapia eating what???

The Future of Food – the movie.

Good health to everyone, and enjoy food!

Nurit

Hormones and Antibiotics, etc.

Diana — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:01:45 -0500

Our biggest concern health-wise are the hormones and anti-biotics in animals products. Having two growing daughters it scares me to think of putting those things in their bodies. We buy organic milk and yogurt always, as well as anti-biotic and hormone free meats. We try to purchase our vegetables and fruits organic as much as possible but both price and packaging play a part in that as well. It annoys me to no end when organic products are wrapped in plastic - what's the point?! Locally grown always trumps store bought, but in the winter that's tough! We're planning to try to grow a larger garden this year so that we can freeze more of our own veggies - I've got an awful black thumb though so we'll see how it turns out.

Too Expensive!

lrembo91 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:34:32 -0500

I find that organic foods are too expensive at this point in time. I do have a garden that has onions, potatoes, peas, peppers, tomatos, etc. that is as organic as it gets.

To buy or not to buy

bluejardiniere — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:29:12 -0500

I have to agree with Blondie in Brazil. Buying local is much better than strictly organic. And buying organic doesn't always help the farmer. It is an added expense to the farmer to become certified. Even if a lot of folks decide that this is the best for food, there will always be a majority that can't afford the extra cost. That is why so many people in poverty are obese. They simply can't afford the food that is "best" for them. I personally don't pay that much attention to whether it is organic or not, but whether the food is fresh and local.

Thanks, and another plug for Muir Glen Tomatoes!

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:37:46 -0500

Thanks. I did learn a lot writing this and I'm sure it will impact my food choices. Your organic home-frozen blueberries sound wonderful.

I do buy Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes in a can and to me they absolutely taste better than regular canned tomatoes. I rarely buy any other kind of canned tomatoes since I've discovered them, and yes, they are a lot more expensive.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

I care too!

Rhonda-at-RecipeCarousel — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 11:16:48 -0500

Love the topic Kayln! Great article! We do alot of our own oragnic gardening! lots of canning and freezing goes on

Nothing like organically grown blueberries (the brain - berry) over hot -oatmeal in midst of winter!

Good Point! Completely agree Elisa (eating with the seasons is extremely cost effective)

does anyone purhcase "canned" organics et al?

http://www.recipecarousel.com/blog

Rhonda

Great site

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:27 -0500

Just checked out organicexpress.com, and it looks like a great resource for people who live in California!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Good point

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:57:19 -0500

I like your point about how the mainstreaming of organics will drive the prices down. But the availability is always going to be more of a challenge in colder places. When I visit my brother (in Venice Beach) I'm always shocked at how much lower the food prices are for produce and things like lemons, limes, etc.

The bulk of the spending I do in a month is also definitely food-related too. It's ironic, but I think the fact that I splurge on so many gourmet ingredients makes it even harder for me to want to spend extra money for organic produce.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

For me too!

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:52:04 -0500

That's the reason I buy the Muir Glen tomatoes so faithfully. (It helps that they sell them at Costco here and that I'm such a Costco addict.) And the organic carrots really do taste significantly better.

I'm not sure how my buying habits might change is there were replicable studies that showed that organic food is more nutritious. I'm guessing it might become more of a priority, but eating "real food" is the biggest thing that shapes my grocery choices for sure.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Interesting

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:48:50 -0500

I never thought of the idea of farmers markets without "real" farmers. I guess that's one benefit of having a market that's purely seasonal.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

I make quite an effort

Elisa Camahort — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:10:53 -0500

I get local organic produce (and some groceries) delivered every two weeks via organicexpress.com I also go out of my way to buy Safeway's O line of groceries because I want to encourage the mainstreaming of organics (which I believe will help drive the prices down.) I also shop at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and buy organic when the option is available and not outrageously expensive. I do find that if you're also choosing seasonal and local the organic pricing will be lower than things that have to be shipped in and are out of season.

I'm not much of a shopper on other things. I would say the bulk of the spending I do in a month is food-related.

Elisa Camahort

BlogHer

elisa@blogher.com

Taste Trumps All

Alanna Kellogg — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:09:59 -0500

Part of the problem is that "organic" has become a code word implying fresh, local, healthful, wholesome, blah blah. That 'organic' chicken that tastes better? Chances are, it's the feed, not the fact that it's raised 'organically' --

While I'm 'aware' of organic when buying groceries, taste trumps all. When consumers demand food that tastes good for cooking at home, the rest will fall into place.

Alanna Kellogg
Kitchen Parade &
A Veggie Venture

Organic, sometimes; real farmers, when possible

cardamomaddict — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:34:43 -0500

Hi Kalyn

The only organic foodstuff I regularly buy is milk--I cannot digest regular milk easily, but have no problems with organic (and I can get it in glass bottles! instead of waxy cartons!). I'be been told it's the processed feed I react to, which makes sense as I also react to beef and chicken that are fed things that they wouldn't normally eat.

There was a mention of farmers markets in the comments. I live within 40 minutes of three large FMs, but fewer "real" farmers rent the stalls. A number of vendors are actually suppliers who buy their produce from the Ontario Food Terminal and sell it at the market. Some even go so far as to "dress" like farmers. Because of this, I tend to buy my veg and fruit at the bigscarymegamart as they essentially come from the same place, and usually are sold at a lower price.

If I do buy produce at the FM, it's usually varietals that aren't available at the bigscarymegamart: damsons, greening or braeburn apples and carrots that taste exactly like the ones that grew in my parents' garden.

jasmine

Confessions of a Cardamom Addict

Canada is so reasonable

Kalyn Denny — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:24:28 -0500

Canada is so ahead of us on some issues. I wish I had more local farmers selling organic produce, but it's completely seasonal here.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Yes, but . . .

Kalyn Denny — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:22:07 -0500

What if you don't live somewhere that has fresh organic food available? Very little produce is grown in Utah where I live, and then only at certain times of the year.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

How Much Do You Care About Buying and Eating Organic Food?

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:02:25 -0500

I'm not trying to be provocative with that headline, I truly am curious about how people feel about this. Let me start by confessing that buying organic foods isn't always my number one priority when I'm deciding what to cook, so don't think I'm claiming to be any kind of expert. In fact, when BlogHer Community Manager Denise asked me if I'd write about organic food for BlogHer's Every Day is Earth Day spotlight, I wasn't sure I wanted to, until I thought about what a great learning opportunity it would be for me.

Of course I don't want to eat foods that have been sprayed with pesticides. Actually, in spite of my organic food apathy, I'm probably more concerned about healthy eating than the average grocery shopper, and there are some organic foods I buy regularly (like Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes, which absolutely taste better than other canned tomatoes!) I do love the idea behind organic food production, but price is also an issue for me when I'm shopping for food, and I sometimes wonder if organic red bell peppers are worth $2.99 each when commercially grown ones are on sale for $.99. I found a few answers, but also a lot more questions when I was writing this piece, and I'd love to keep learning more about the topic, so hopefully BlogHer readers will chime in with comments or links to continue the discussion.

There Are Strict Government Standards for Organic Labeling
Just what does organic food mean? I consulted the USDA website to learn about standards for organic foods in the U.S. The U.S.D.A. seal tells you that a food is at least 95 % organic, although the U.S.D.A. states up front that they're making no claim that organic foods are better for you than commercially produced ones. USDA standards have been in place since October 2002, and here's the summary of how organic food is defined

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. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. 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. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

Reasons People Give for Choosing Organic Foods
Although organic foods account for only a small (but growing) percentage of world food sales, people who care about buying organic are passionate about the topic. At A Lucid Spoonful, Paula tells us Why I Eat Organic Food, and Why You Should Too. She compares the price differences in organic and commercially produced vegetables and concludes it's worth it to her to have food that's pesticide-free and grown in ways that don't harm the environment, and claims "cleaner and less processed food means more nutritional content." A very comprehensive post about the basics of organic food at Treehugger expands on reasons people in that community consider organic food so important. I also found a great list of Reasons to Buy Organic at Whole Foods Whole Green Blog.

There's Not Complete Agreement that Organic Foods Are More Healthful
Proving the health benefits of organic food is a complicated prospect, with many studies often contradicting each other. SFGate reported in November 2007 about recent studies finding higher nutrient levels in organic crops. However, in the same article UC Davis food scientist Alyson Mitchel cautions that you can't generalize that higher nutrient levels measured in food in a laboratory means consumers are getting more nutrients, and clarifies that "market studies" attempting to prove that organic foods are better have all failed. Other scientists are reporting results that are more certain. In the U.K a four-year study concluding in late 2007 reported conclusively that organic food is better than regular produce. Of course, there's more to health than healthy eating, and nutritional benefits are only one way to measure the value of organic food. Eco Child's Play is one of many sources I found who were alarmed at recent reports that Pesticides Permeate Children's Pee.

Choosing Organic is More Important for Certain Foods than Others
Something I did find complete agreement on is that buying organic matters more for some foods than it does for others. Foods where all the peel is discarded, like bananas, are a safer food to buy commercially grown if you can't buy all organic produce than something like apples, where the peel is often eaten. McCauliflower from Brownie Points had the most recent post I found, and she links us to a printable list of the cleanest non-organic foods, ranked by pesticide levels.

Organic Foods May or May Not Taste Better
I mentioned how I think my brand of organic canned tomatoes tastes better than other canned tomatoes, but finding scientific evidence that organic foods taste better has been difficult. Food scientist and blogger Harold McGee wrote in The New York Times about a 21-year study on organic wheat production which showed that rats consistently ate more of the foods made with organic wheat. However, McGee also reported in the same article that many studies in the last few years involving taste tests with humans have shown that people are unable to identify organic foods and may not always prefer them. Baking Bites reported on a Cook's Illustrated egg taste test which ranked farm-fresh eggs over organic ones. On the other side of the argument, in Chew on That samples Organic vs. Regular Chicken, and reports organic chicken simply tastes better.

Not All Organic Foods are Labeled Organic
One of my biggest "aha" moments while writing this was provided by a commenter on Serious Eats who advised someone who wanted advice on going organic with a large family to look beyond the organic label for more inexpensive options, explaining that small farmers may not bother to go through the government red-tape to have their foods labeled as organic. This means that shopping at farmers markets and local food stands can often be a good way to get organic foods with a smaller price tag, and merely asking the person who grew the food is the easiest way to know whether or not food is organic when shopping at local markets like these.

Organic Food is Becoming Big Business
Finally, people who equate organic with local and sustainable foods may not like knowing that organic food is becoming big business. I found more than ten blogs who spotlighted a recent chart in Good Magazine showing organic food labels that are owned by some of the countries largest food producers.

More Reading:
The National Geographic Green Guide Food Quiz will help you find out how much you don't know about organic food.
U.S. National Organic Program Standards (full document of all the U.S. standards)
Hints and Tips for Eating Organic from Recipe 4 Living
Ten Reasons Organic can Feed The World from The Ecologist
Organic Consumers Association (found on Farmgirl Fare)

BlogHer Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen.