Can You Trust Organic Foods?
Anything organic is supposed to help save the planet, or so the media keeps saying. You probably noticed how much more organic foods cost to "regular" foods. Is there really much of a difference - or is this just another excuse to legally raise prices? Although this writer loves a good conspiracy theory, there isn't any evil conspiracy to fleece the public by labeling something organic. There actually is a difference in organic foods from regular foods.
Certification
The main difference in organic foods from regular foods is in how they are grown. The farm is not to use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. More and more, organic foods are also made in as least packaging as possible, and with recycled packaging, too. But when organic foods are certified, the United States Department of Agriculture usually just checks on growing conditions for certification criteria.
The USDA's organic certification is considered pretty lax, but it is still better than nothing. Many states in America have their own organic certification program, which are usually tougher because there's less area to patrol and less farms to check out than with an entire nation.
Europe's organic foods certifications standards are considered far stricter (and thus, more "organic") with France being the most admired by organic foods promoters. In Europe, organic foods cannot be genetically modified and livestock cannot be raised with growth hormones.
What About Processed Foods?
Processed organic foods do exist, even if they are put together in factories. They are called mutli-ingredient foods, and have to be certified organic in order to be legally sold as organic. At least 70% of the ingredients used in the canned soup, bag of pretzels or whatever have to be from organic foods.
Prohibited Practices
Some of the prohibited practices that can make a food item loose organic certification can make you cringe. These practices include "ingredients that have been produced using sewage sludge" and any ingredients that have been irradiated. Let's look up "sewage sludge", shall we?
Sewage sludge is also known as biosolids, is mostly black goopy water left behind after it has gone through sewage treatment plants. It is certainly high in organic material, because it's harder to get anything more organic than excrement. It has been used as farm fertilizer in many nations for decades. There is concern about the affects of long term use.
Sounds really appetizing, doesn't it? Whenever you see organic foods, you know they have nothing to do with sewage sludge. That alone is worth paying a little extra for.
