Some don’t want to hear this, but organic food isn’t always more pure or more tasty, even when sporting the USDA Organic label, a label that usually means a premium price.
A couple excellent articles have addressed the disconnect between reality and consumer perception — none better than a Wednesday piece in the Los Angeles Times, but more on that in a moment — and this morning’s Washington Post reports the integrity of the label itself is jeopardized because of lax standards and successful lobbying. Not all organic food certified by the USDA is pesticide-free, nor is it always grown in eco-friendly conditions.
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, who sponsored the federal organics legislation, warns “It will unravel everything we’ve done if the standards can no longer be trusted. If we don’t protect the brand, the organic label, the program is finished. It could disappear overnight.”
Purity? Grated organic cheese contains wood starch to prevent clumping. Regular grated cheese uses corn starch for the same purpose. According to the Post, previously-banned synthetic additives are now in 90% of organic baby formula, thanks to lobbying.
Safety? Four months ago, during the salmonella outbreak traced to peanuts, the New York Times wrote about the surprise among consumers who learned their assumption that organic peanut products are safer is wrong. As the Times pointed out, organic standards have nothing to do with food safety.
Taste? Wednesday, Russ Parsons wrote a Los Angeles Times piece that begins:
I don’t believe in organic. There, I’ve said it and I feel better. It’s something that’s been on my mind for years.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I’ve got nothing against organic farmers. In fact, some of my favorite farmers are organic. I really admire them: Growing delicious food and doing it according to organic standards is adding a degree of difficulty that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But a lot of my favorite farmers aren’t organic, and therein lies the rub.
Parsons has covered farming for 20+ years; his piece is so full of common sense I requested permission to quote it at length and he graciously consented, although I hope you’ll read it in its entirety. While I support organics and buy them frequently, to a large degree his views reflect mine, especially in this economy as I see some people struggle to buy food because they have committed themselves to buying only organics.
Of the organic-only advocates, however well-meaning, he writes: “Listening to them, you get the idea that if you aren’t eating fruits and vegetables that were organically grown, you might as well be mainlining Agent Orange or handing your money straight to some giant industrial agricultural corporation. You’re certainly not going to be getting anything with any flavor, they’d argue.
“I’ve been covering agriculture and farmers markets for more than 20 years, and in that time, I’ve visited scores, if not hundreds, of farms, both conventional and organic. I wrote a book on the subject. And I can say with some degree of certainty that that those ideas are, at best, an oversimplification.
“The real world isn’t black and white at all. Between pure organics and the reckless use of chemicals, there is a huge gray area, and this is where most farming is done.”
He notes that nowadays, the difference between organic and conventional farming comes down, almost entirely, to the decision not to use certain chemicals. “Certainly, there is a problem with chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers when they are used incorrectly. But it’s quite a leap to suggest that because something is harmful when misused, it mustn’t be used at all.”
Eschewing good produce because it’s not sporting a green and white label can lead to what Parsons calls some awfully dumb decisions. “Walking through the Santa Monica farmers market the other day, I again heard it repeatedly: Customers asking farmers “Are you organic?” as if it were some kind of litmus test for quality or safety. I saw somebody walk away from the absolutely heavenly Snow Queen white nectarines at Art Lange’s Honey Crisp stand because he doesn’t embrace the organic label.”
And taste is what it’s all about. As he puts it, you can’t fake flavor. “You can fudge on almost everything else, but really delicious fruits and vegetables come only from talented, careful farmers doing their very best work.
“And that’s true regardless of the label that’s attached.”
I hope you’ll follow the above links for the full stories and check out a Post sidebar on deciphering organic labels.
And just so you know when you’re in the supermarket, Kraft owns Boca, Kellogg owns Morningstar Farms, and Coca-Cola owns 40 percent of Honest Tea, the organic beverage President Obama likes.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonderful article, ella. I echo your views. I like to buy fresh, and flavorful. I like to support local farmers, and I like reduce my chemical consumption as much as I can. But, I’ve found it doesn’t pay to get too fanatical about anything! Balance in all things…
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Hi, Muse! I’m glad we’re on the same page. Another aspect is variety; I recently bought Red Boston lettuce at a farmer’s market and that’s something I’d never find in a supermaket, not in the organic section or the regular. Same goes for heirloom tomatoes when they’re ready to pick. I refuse to pass them up over a label.
Nowadays, “organic” or “pesticide free” seems to mean an excuse to jack up prices. I prefer to buy from local farmers, be they organic or conventional. But some foods just can’t be done locally for an economically competitive price. As a family of four on a single income in the SF Bay Area, pricing is a definite concern when making purchasing decisions.
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I hear you, Nate. And the cost of living in your area is high enough to begin with. Many organics here are 50% higher in price than their conventional counterparts and when the conventionals are on sale, it can be 100% or more. That was the case recently with blueberries, which I love, and I couldn’t bring myself to spend almost $4 for organics when I got twice as much for $3.
By law, organic products must comply with federal regulations for production and handling. These regulations prohibit the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and genetic engineering, among other things, and specifically outline what can – and cannot- be identified as organic. They state, for example, that products labeled “100% Organic” and carrying the “USDA Organic” seal be just that – they contain all organically produced ingredients. Products that are made from at least 95% organic ingredients, and have remaining ingredients that are approved for use in organic products may also carry the “USDA Organic” seal. Products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients may label those on the ingredient listing and identify themselves as “made with organic,” while products containing less than 70% organic ingredients may list only those ingredients that are organic on the ingredient panel with no mention of organic on their main panel. These and other organic regulations offer consumers both a clear definition in which they can trust and assurance that the organic products they buy and consume are produced and processed in a manner that maintains product integrity that begins on the farm.
Federal organic standards have not been “relaxed.” Rigorously enforced standards can and do go hand-in-hand with growth. The organic industry and OTA have long pushed for national organic regulations that consumers could rely on. As a result, organic agriculture and products remain the most strictly regulated, as well as the fastest growing, food system in the United States today.
Thanks very much for your comments. Many of the labeling specifics in your first graf are outlined in the Post sidebar I linked to, but not in such detail. And of course, not everyone follows links for further information. I’m glad to have your information here, where it’s easily seen.
I’m glad to know that you find our post helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like more information about organic. Alternatively, I’d encourage you to visit the OTA website, http://www.ota.com, which contains a wealth of information about organic standards, regulations, health and environmental benefts, as well as the latest news and trends around organic.
I certainly shall. Thanks.