When I walk through the aisles of the grocery store and see the signs marking an item as “organic”, the first thing that comes to my mind is “twice the price”. I have to admit, I’m one of those people who are constantly watching what I eat. Every recipe I try must go through the scrutiny of passing the calorie, fat, and cholesterol test. I don’t eat fried foods and I keep those starches at bay–which isn’t easy when you’ve grown up “Italian” where bread and pasta is a daily staple.
That said, I’ve never gotten into the “Organic” craze. I know…it’s supposed to be better for you because organic food is devoid of: pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, bioengineering, hormones, ionizing radiation, and on the high scale of gross…fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. Ewwwww! Really…who would have thought that the apples and oranges sitting in the fruit bowl on your table were fertilized with the stuff you flush down your toilet?
That last fact should be enough to make you want to clean out your fridge and buy all new organic products. But then we get back to the price…
WHAT DOES THAT LABEL MEAN?
“Organic” could mean many things. In order for a product to be labeled “organic”, it has to be government approved and certified. The farm where the products are grown or raised (in the case of meat), have rules to be followed which meet the necessary guidelines for USDA organic standards. They must use renewable resources that conserve the soil and water for future generations, and this includes any company that handles the processed foods on the way to the grocery store must also be certified organic, too. All of these guidelines cost the farmer extra and those costs are passed on to the consumer.
But wait! Did you think this would be simple? As with all government regulations, nothing is simple and what you see and what you get are often two different things. There are actual degrees of organic to look for. If a product is marked 100% organic that means they are completely organic or made with all organic ingredients. But then there are those products marked just “Organic”…which means they’re at least 95% organic. If you see “Made With Organic Ingredients” on a label, that means that the food contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
Another thing you might see on labels in the grocery store are “Sustainable” products. I saw this just recently and had no clue as to what they meant and there was no explanation. It turns out that it means the methods by which it’s grown do not harm the environment, are seasonal, and they preserve agricultural land. They are also humane to animals, pay growers fairly, and support local farming communities by distributing their food through farmer’s markets and other venues. Again, these products are more expensive because the farmers are spending more to produce the product.
Oh, and you know those “cage free” or “free range” chickens and eggs you’ve been paying more for? Well, the implication that the chickens were allowed to be outdoors and not stuck in small cages all their lives is not quite true. The fact is that there is no guarantee that the birds were not housed in cages, but only that they had “access” to the outdoors. The USDA considers 5 minutes of open-air access per day by poultry to be enough for the “free range” distinction. Not exactly the picture we get of poultry roaming happily as they heartily peck away at the corn and seed while they mingle with other birds of a feather. For this, you will pay almost double the price for your eggs and poultry.
You should also be aware that the label “grass-fed” on a package of meat does not mean the same as “pasture raised”. Grass-fed signifies that the livestock received a diet of natural forage but sometimes cows are fed grass while indoors or in a pen or only for the first few months of their lives. Pasture-raised animals roam freely outdoors where they can eat grasses and other plants that their bodies are best suited to digest.
Be aware, however, that just because something is labeled organic does not mean that you don’t need to take proper precautions on handling that food. Thoroughly wash all produce and if the skin still isn’t clean, peel it off. Organically raised and processed meat can harbor bacteria and should be handled the same as regular meat products. Cleanliness rules are the same…cook meats to the proper temperature, 180° for poultry, 160° for beef.
So, the question remains…is organic healthier and worth the extra cost? It’s a matter of personal choice. Frankly, I’m still not convinced that I want to add the extra costs to my monthly food bill and will probably remain with “The Dark Side of the Farm”. However, for those who think it is worth it, you’re not alone. Sales for organic foods have risen by more than 20% every year in the past decade and studies show that more than half of Americans buy organic food at least once a month.
To those who have chosen to visit today, thank you for stopping by and supporting my little blog. And, of course …”May the farm be with you…always.”
–Nunly
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If you want good stuff you really need to grow it yourself.
I agree, at least if you grow it yourself you know what you’re getting. The only problem I have with that is that our growing season in the Chicago area is so short. I’m always jealous of my brother who lives in Georgia and is able to grow so much more than we can. I keep saying I’m going to put in a garden in my back yard, but I only have a small area that gets full sun. Our swimming pool takes up a lot of the sunny area in our yard.
Maybe some day…..
Your growing season is what about two weeks. You do get to grow beautiful flowers like peonies and poppies up there though.
I’d grow food too but we have a tiny balcony three floors up from where we park the car and dirt lugging isn’t our favorite thing. The farmer’s markets are good if you have the time but I rarely so so must admit to being a regular customer at Whole Foods. It’s not too expensive so long as you stay away from the deli, bakery and cosmetics areas. Besides, they bought all the local competition and closed the stores because they weren’t big enough. Geez..
Deadenders- LOL, you’ve got that right…about two weeks growing season!
Susan- They just put in a Whole Foods close to my house about a year ago. I went there a few times and was impressed with the quality of their produce. It was still tough to get over the “sticker price”, though. Sheesh! Whenever I’m looking for one of those fresh ingredients for my recipes (in particular the French recipes) I can find it there, however. The employees are very helpful, too. They aren’t the only store around us, we’ve got grocery stores up the kazoo around here.