Big business accused of corrupting organic label
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006
WASHINGTON — At the local supermarket, the organic fruit and vegetable display can be a frequent stop for health-conscious consumers. But turn to the next aisle, and shoppers are likely to find a different array of “ natural” and “ organic” foods.
All-natural potato chips. Organic breakfast burritos. Traverse the frozen foods aisle and one can unearth multiple varieties of organic threecheese lasagna.
Once the symbol of foods produced by environmentally friendly means, the organic label in the United States has with time cheapened into a gimmicky marketing tool, some organic farmers and activists say.
And as mainstream supermarket chains increase their clutch on the lucrative organic industry, the same critics contend that big business is developing a stranglehold on efforts to tighten national organic standards and regulations. Many big businesses entering the growing market counter that simply by doing so, they are benefiting both the environment and consumers.
By Department of Agriculture standards, the “ USDA organic” seal means that at least 95 percent of the ingredients in the product are farmed without using chemicals, hormones, pesticides or any method regarded as harmful to the environment.
Organic or sustainable farming techniques can include using ducks and insects for pest and weed control, water conservation and natural methods of soil replenishment. In the past, supporting organic farming also meant favoring locally grown food over mass produced varieties that are often grown using greater quantities of fossil fuels for production and transport.
On store shelves, the line between organic and mass produced has been blurred. Tostito’s now offers organic tortilla chip selections. More recently, Frito-Lay introduced a brand of “ Natural ”” Doritos.
“ It is sort of a marketing gimmick, ” said registered dietitian Cindy Moore, who is director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic. She added that not all organic foods are equal. “ If you have a product with limited nutrients, making them with organic products isn’t going to make it better. ”
USDA spokeswoman Joan Shaffer said the organic label is a “ marketing program” that only specifies how the food was processed and has no indication of food safety or nutrition. Currently, the USDA works with 95 independent organic certification agencies worldwide — 55 domestic and 40 foreign.
The organic movement gained much attention in the 1970 s when the government banned the pesticide DDT. Spawned in response to the often toxic practices of mass agriculture, the movement was seen as an eccentricity of the earth-loving hippie set. Organic foods were not simply about good eating, but doing good for the environment and promoting a healthier, more sustainable place in which to live.
Consumers nowadays, however, tend to equate “ organic” with “ healthy. ” But that comparison is not often true, said Brad Stufflebeam, an organic farmer based in Brenham, Texas, who noted the explosion of processed foods on supermarket shelves with “ organic” labels.
“ Just because it’s organic cereal with organic sugar, doesn’t make it healthy, ” Stufflebeam said.
On food packaging, “ natural ” has no relation to organic and only implies that the product contains no artificial ingredients or artificial food coloring, Moore said.
Studies have shown some health benefits of eating organic foods, especially in young, developing children whose bodies are less able to deal with pesticide residue found often on conventional fruits and vegetables. Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration permits the use of more than 300 synthetic food additives in conventional foods. U. S. certified organic foods contain none of these additives.
Aside from possible pesticide residue, “ If you compare organically grown foods to conventionally grown foods, there is no significant difference in the nutrient profile between the two, ” Moore said. For example, both organic and conventional strawberries will have relatively the same amount of carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins and minerals.
It is helpful for each consumer to evaluate why they might be choosing organic food, whether it is for health reasons — to decrease possible risk to cancer by avoiding foods with pesticides — or for environmental reasons — to protect the water supply, encourage biodiversity or prevent soil erosion in farmlands, Moore said.
There might also be a socially-conscious reason where someone may want to support small farms or the impact on farm workers’ health and rights, she added.
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