If you’ve been patting yourself on the back for picking multigrain bread over white and stocking your pantry with jars of all things with ‘organic’ in the label, you might want to re-think your eating habits. Not all that glitters is gold, they say, and that should probably be extended to ‘not all that’s organic is healthy’. The O-word is one that’s been thrown about quite casually – for everything from cabbage to chicken – but have we ever stopped to wonder if paying a higher price and going home with a lighter conscience in addition to a lighter wallet really benefits anyone?
The reasons for going organic are manifold – some do it to be healthier, to reduce ingestion of chemicals via the pesticides and fertilisers that seep into the produce and some do it for the earth – we are all aware how organic farming is easier on the soil and makes for faster regeneration. But sceptics are increasingly starting to question the validity of going calling for a second look at what is behind the hype.
The craze for organic food took over the world a few years ago and has been on a high ever since with everything from snacks to shampoos taking up the ‘organic’ tag. With the increasing environmental consciousness and a predisposition to ‘go green’, we’ve reached a point where tend to blindly opt for anything labelled ‘organic’.
The traditional definition of organic is food that is produced without synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, and animal products that are harvested without injecting animals with growth hormones or antibiotic medicines. Because production methods for organic foods are more traditional and are more labour intensive, the cost goes up, making it expensive. This rise is, however, justified by the increased time and energy used to produce food with less chemicals.
The favourite card that pro-organics play is that it contains more nutrients than traditionally grown commercial food, but a study released by Stanford University in 2012 – after four decades of comparing organic produce with commercial - showed surprisingly that organic food did not contain any significant increase in nutrients than their conventional counterparts. The study disproved the common belief that choosing organic options of produce, diary and meat would lead to better health overall – so shelling out that extra buck or two for the organic version doesn’t guarantee a healthier life. Additionally, organic food doesn’t guarantee a reduction in the presence of bacteria like E.coli, so the health risk is present regardless of its production methods.
The nutritional advantages aside, another reason why organic food appeals to the environmentally-conscious is that organic farming uses less chemical supplements like fertilisers and pesticides, which in turn leaves the soil less contaminated and less chemical-dependant, and keeps it better for future productivity. But even organic food uses pesticides and fertilisers, the only difference being that the kind used is more natural. The obvious advantages of organic farming is that the soil is not overloaded with chemicals from fertilisers and pesticides thus increasing future productivity, and less chemicals leach into the water table and thereby causes a significant reduction in the levels of chemicals that are entering the food chain.
But let that not dissuade you –remember to double check the ingredient list before tossing it on to your cart. Just because the label says organic, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you. Organic palm sugar may sound a lot healthier than your average processed cane sugar, but it is still sugar and the lesser you consume the better.
When it comes to buying vegetables, opt for locally grown options, but remember that when it comes to nutritive value, other factors like the ripeness of the produce are more important. Another important thing to keep in mind is to trust your instinct – if an organically grown tomato tastes better to you than any other kind, you probably should buy it, but if you think organic milk is risky considering the possibility of higher bacterial contamination levels, stick to the conventional kind.
So what are your options until the scientists figure out whether organic is really healthy, for both you and the environment? Go old school – find a farmers market in your neighbourhood that sells locally grown fruits and vegetables, this is your best bet to avoid ingesting unnecessary chemicals. Organic or not, you can personally check with them to find out what exactly goes into the soil where your produce comes from. Another thing to do is read the ingredients list studiously even when the packaging screams organic – check for sugar and fat content, the real culprits keeping you from a healthy life. Or go the whole hog and start growing vegetables in your own backyard. It may sound like too much work but a green thumb will ensure that you have complete control over what you are feeding your family – and it doesn’t get more organic than this!
elizabeth.mathew@thehindu.co.in