Nutritional Quality, Benefits, And Harms Of Organic Foods - Essay Example

Nutritional Quality, Benefits, And Harms Of Organic Foods Everyone’s wish is to live healthy throughout their lives. To remain healthy, one needs to exercise regularly and eat good food. Eating is more important than workout because we eat three times a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year until we die. These days Americans have become more concerned about their health. For this reason, people spend more time comparing and looking for better meat, eggs, vegetables or fruits. There is a even special section in the grocery stores named “Organic products.” The consumption of these organic products is uproar. The consumption has increased 20 percent a year since 1990. It was 6.5 billion dollars in 1999 and 7.8 billion dollars in 2000 (Dimitri, 4-7). We tend to favor organic foods because we have heard many issues on television about the salmonella infection after eating lettuce and warning of pesticide residues in food. However, choosing organic foods is not free from these concerns. Organic foods are not pesticides free. According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic food is defined as ‘“Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards’” (Consumer brochure, 1). Consumers might question how the organic farmers manage insect pests, weeds, or crop diseases. Organic farmers are permitted using a few synthetic fungicides, some of the pesticides and organic insecticides by USDA National Organic Program Standards, including pyrethrum, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), rotenone, copper, and sulphur. Farmers regularly spray pesticides on the crops. Alex Avery, director of research at the Hudson Institute’s center for global food issues, states in his article that “Pyrethrum is has been classified by U.S. Environmental protection Agency as a likely human carcinogen, and rotenone causes symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in rats” (Avery, 1). However, these pesticides are still allowed to use for organic farmers. A study was conducted to test the residue of synthetic pesticides. 1000 pounds of peaches, green bell peppers, apples and tomatoes were bought from stores in San Francisco, New Haven, Seattle, Boston, Connecticut and Atlanta. The result shows that “One-fourth of the organic samples had traces of pesticides, compared to 55 percent of the green-labeled samples and 77 percent of the unlabeled conventional samples” (Consumer Reports, 12-18). Also, they found that organic peaches were too low quality to be labeled “organic” because these contained too much pesticide. Another study done by the Agriculture Department and the State of California as well as by the scientists themselves showed that 23 percent of pesticide residue, including organochlorine pesticides, DDT and chlordane, was found in organic fruits and vegetables (Brasher, 12). DDT could be explained by past pesticide use. Its half life is 30 years, and DDT will be one quarter in soil in another 30 years. The scientists explains, “Other chemicals could have been applied to the crops improperly or drifted onto the organic fields from adjacent farms” (Brasher, 12). Therefore, this statement clarifies that the reason for the impure organic products is not clear. It is only an assumption. People believe the farmers do not get any chance to use chemicals because an inspector checks the organic farms every day using precise measures. But producers and handlers choose one of any accredited certifying agents, 56 of domestic accredited certifying agents and 43 of foreign accredited certifying agents, and require an annual inspection by them. Therefore, it is not as complicated as the people tend to believe. Kindy states, “Private certifiers are hired by farmers and food producers “(Kindy, 1) The regulations of the organic products are controlled by producers or farmers. The regulators and organic farmers are very closely attached, so laws can be changed for organic companies. In 2006, USDA employees found synthetic addictives in organic baby’s formula; this was out of the federal standards. The synthetic additives found were DHA and ARA synthetic fatty acids that had helped in brain development previously. However, these fatty acids were formed in baby’s formula by using hexane, which was potential neurotoxin. So, USDA employees reported to the program manager to prohibit synthetic addictives and to take away the organic seal from the baby’s formula. Barbara Robinson, who administers the organics program and is a deputy USDA administrator, was lobbied by the formula maker, and conducted talks with William J. Friedman, a lawyer who represents the formula makers. As a result, she nullified her staff, and today 90 percent of organic baby’s formula contains these synthetic addictives. Today’s organic food industry is a big fish. Its demand is increasing exponentially. Many of the big food companies own organic farms, but avoid using their names on organic foods for any collateral goodwill damage. For Instance: Kraft Foods owns Boca Foods, Kellogg has Morningstar Farms, Coca-Cola owns 40 percent of Honest Tea, and General Mills possesses Cascadian Farm. These giant companies keep lobbying the government to enlarge the definition of organic term, so they can use organic seal on their products. In 2002, USDA established the National Organic Program to put forward the organic laws. Under the original laws, organic products could contain 77 non-organic substances, but it has increased to 245 substances now. Arthur Harvey, who cultivates organic blueberries in Maine, sued USAD in 2003 because of permitting synthetic additives, which is in contravention of the federal laws. Harvey won the case. Shortly after, the Organic Trade Association use their lobbying power with the government and were able to convince the government for “allowing certain synthetic food substances in the preparation, processing and packaging of organic foods, creating conditions for a flood of processed organic foods” (Kindy, 1). This trade association is being supported by some of the big food companies, such as Kraft, Dole and Dean Foods. Organic farming methods threaten human health. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), E. coli 0157, which is much stronger bacteria, and damages human’s kidney and liver permanently, attacks the consumers of organic products around eight times. 2471 people were infected by E. coli 0157 in 1996, and 250 died from this bacteria in U.S. in the same year (Avery, 2004). Salmonella is no exception. S. Typhimurium is also found to be as a much strong version of salmonella. The CDC reports, “ there are up to four million cases of salmonella poisoning per year in the U.S., and it has identified one-fourth of the culture-confirmed cases as the more virulent S. Typhimurium” (Avery, 1). How do people get these deadly bacteria? Fertilizers are essential to grow the crops. In a conventional method, farmers use synthetic fertilizers to cultivate the crops while an organic fertilizer source is manure, mostly animal manure. This animal manure is a big factory to produce E. coli, salmonella, fungi and other bacteria. A common method to make composting is to wait two months, and need to be heated at130 degree Fahrenheit. Dr. Dean Cliver says, “the deadly new E. Coli 0157 bacteria can live at least seventy days in a compost pile—and it probably takes an extended period at 160-degree heat to kill it” (Avery, 1). Organic products are damaged by ill-usage of artificial pesticides, and as a result consumers become the victims. In the United Kingdom, an insect’s chewing into a single kernel of corn was to make a little hole, and it was enough to invite the mold. This sequence repeated thousands times. After the farmer harvested organic corns, and sold them to companies, the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency found out that the level of contamination of fumonisin was 20 times higher than the standard level. Six brands out of six organic corn brands were tested and failed. Fumonisin is a cancer-causing residue. On the other hand, 20 of the 24 conventionally harvested corn products were tested and concluded safe to eat (Miller, 35-37). People may think organic foods are healthier than conventional products. 40 percent of consumers of organic foods think it is true. However, there are many cases to falsify on this conception. In an article, Pollen states that Horizon, an organic and natural dairy company, uses a method of “ultra-pasteurization," which is to utilize a high heat to kill its enzymes and many of its vitamins to transport a long distance (Pollen, 1). However, pasteurized milk, conventional method, kills only viable micro-organisms, which are all yeasts, mold and common spoilage bacteria, so enzymes and vitamins are still in the milk. A study done by University of California at Davis Food toxicologist shows that there are no differences between organic foods and conventional foods. Carl Winter, director of the Food Safe Program at UC Davis, says “I'm not convinced there is any difference in the health and safety of organic and conventional foods. There is still a lot of speculation, still a lot of research that needs to be done” (Temple, 1). His study is based on present literature. He also produces three critical points in his work: warning on using animal manure, insignificant on changing to organic diet in order to reduce a chance to expose to pesticide residues and higher level of toxins produced from organic farming method. Another study published recently titled “Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review” written by Alan Dangour and four more authors at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with the financial backing of the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency. Dangour’ team searched 52,471 articles in Pub Med, and CAB Abstracts from 1 January 1958 to 29 February 2008. The team found 162, and 55 were fitted for the study. The team concluded that “In an analysis that included only satisfactory quality studies, conventionally produced crops had a significantly higher content of nitrogen, and organically produced crops had a significantly higher content of phosphorus and higher titratable acidity. No evidence of a difference was detected for the remaining 8 of 11 crop nutrient categories analyzed. Analysis of the more limited database on livestock products found no evidence of a difference in nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced livestock products” (Dangour, 680). The table in the article showed that Vitamin C, Phenolic compounds, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Total soluble solids and Copper were almost similar. This article strengthens the argument that organic foods are not better nutritious than conventional products.   More and more people are paying premium prices for organic products, simply saying, because it is healthier for one’s family and oneself than conventionally grown foods. However, people should see the truth on both organically and conventionally grown foods. Also, people should not just rely on its name, “ORGANIC.” The studies around the world conclude that organic products hold chemicals and pesticides in high quantities. At the same time, they are convinced of the fact that organic farming is harmful to human health. The studies also prove powerful connections of the committees and inspectors with organic companies who are constantly molding policies to benefit themselves. Works Cited Avery, Alex. "The Deadly Chemicals in Organic Food." New York Post. 2 June, 2001 Avery, Dennis T. "Organic Farming Harms the Environment and Threatens Human Health." Opposing Viewpoints: Global Resources. Ed. Helen Cothran. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Brasher, Philip. “Pesticide residue found in 23% of organic produce” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wis.: 12 May, 2002. p. 12.A Consumer brochure. “National organic program.” USDA. 5 Feb. 2010 < http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure.html> Dangour, Alan D., et al. “Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Bethesda: 1 Sep. 2009, Vol. 90, Iss. 3; pg. 680 Dimitri, Carolyn, and Catherine Greene. "Organic Food Industry Taps Growing American Market." Agricultural Outlook. Oct. 2002: 4-7 Kindy, Kimberly, and Lyndsey, Layton. "Purity of Federal 'Organic' Label Is Questioned." Washington Post (Washington, DC). 3 Jul 2009:A.1. Miller, John J. "The Organic Myth." National Review. 9 Feb. 2004: 35-37 Pollan, Michael. "Naturally: How Organic Became a Marketing Niche and a Multibillion..."  New York Times Magazine. 13 May. 2001. Temple, James. "Organic May Not Be Healthier." Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA).  9 Feb. 2007. Consumer Reports "Greener Greens? The Truth About Organic Food." Consumer Reports. Jan. 1998: 12-18. Read More