Organic Food

WHAT DO ORGANIC FOODS OFFER THE CONSUMER?

Introduction

As more people choose to live healthier lifestyles and awareness of environmental issues increases, the demand for organic food and drink is growing. But do these foods really offer benefits over conventional foods?

What is organic food?

The scientific definition of ‘organic compound’ is a chemical compound containing carbon combined with various elements. This is not the common understanding of organic food, which is synonymous with terms like ‘biological’, ‘natural’ and ‘ecological’.

Organic food is produced without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. For this reason organic food is likely to contain lower residues of agricultural chemicals than conventionally farmed food, but due to environmental pollution, organic products cannot be completely free of residues. Organic farming makes use of traditional methods, such as crop rotation, composting, recycling of animal manure, hand weeding, environmentally friendly pest control, homeopathic remedies and free-range animal rearing. The primary goal of organic farming is to ensure the optimal functioning of soil, plants, animals and people in the ecosystem.

It is important to realise that the production of organic foods requires the same good manufacturing practices, labelling and regard for food safety as the rest of the food industry, including conventional farming.

Is organic food better for you?

While fresh fruit and vegetables boast the biggest market share, many consumers are starting to buy organic food and drinks as they are seen to be healthier than their non-organic counterparts. It is important for consumers to consider three main areas:

• The safety of the food
• Its nutritional contribution
• Whether there are health benefits in replacing conventionally farmed foods with organic foods.

1) Food safety

The use of animal waste as fertiliser is a major source of disease-causing micro-organism contamination and of possible contamination of water sources. More extensive insect damage to organic plants may result in mould growth and toxin production, which can cause food poisoning. Thorough cooking and washing prior to eating organic food is essential, as is the management of composting and manure application.

2) Nutritional contribution

There is no conclusive scientific research to recommend the use of organic food as a superior source of nutrients to conventionally farmed food. To the contrary, researchers have confirmed that organic foods contain the same nutrients, in the same amounts, as their non-organic counterparts. Additionally, the responsible application of biotechnology used in conventional farming can significantly increase the nutrient density of many foods.

3) Health benefits

Scientific evidence indicates that the health risks associated with disease-causing pathogens are far greater than the negligible health risks associated with ingesting traces of pesticides. The minimising of residues should be the focus of good agricultural practice, whatever the method of cultivation used. Consumers should not be fooled into believing that if it says organic, it is necessarily healthy.

Also important is the fact that many food components found naturally in food, whether farmed through organic methods or via conventional means, can be unhealthy. For instance, saturated fat found in organic cheese has the same cholesterol-raising effects as that found in cheese produced from non-organic milk.

Both the stimulant effect on the central nervous system and the diuretic effect of caffeine, whether from organic coffee beans or from conventionally farmed coffee beans, remains identical.

We do know that positive changes to our diets bring about real health benefits. It is the overall nutritional balance of our diets that is more important than the differences of nutrient content of individual foods. The term ‘organic’ describes the method of cultivation, rather than specific characteristics of the food.

The flavour, nutritional content and health aspects of organic foods cannot be superior to conventionally grown foods, as the scientific evidence shows.

Legislation and labelling

For a product to be called ‘organic’, the food must comply with the standards specific to organic agriculture, from production and packaging to transport and distribution.

The South African Department of Agriculture is in the process of compiling legislation to govern organic foods.  For this reason, most organic produce is grown in line with international regulations governed by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) and all farmers have to be certified by international bodies such as Ecocert or the British Soil Association.

These authorities inspect farmers on a regular basis to ensure that they conform to the strict international regulations governing organic farming. Every organic product carries an official certification number on the back of its packaging, which means that you can have complete confidence that the product is indeed organic.

International law requires strict labelling of organic products, and outlined below are the different tolerances allowed in the USA and the European Union (EU).

American law allows the classification of products according to the proportion of organic ingredients the food contains. There are four categories:

• Foods made with 95-100% organic ingredients can carry the voluntary USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) organic seal.
• Foods with 70-95% organic ingredients can be labelled as ‘made with organic…’ naming the specific ingredients that comply. This claim can be made on the front of the packaging.
• Foods with less than 70% organic ingredients may list specific organically produced ingredients on the side of the packaging, but not on the front panel.
• Organic in conversion’ means that the production system of the food has adhered to organic standards for at least one year. The process of converting to fully-certified organic production can take up to three years.

In the EU a similar situation exists, but using only two of these categories:

• Foods made with at least 95% organic ingredients can carry the label ‘organic’.
• Foods with 70-95% organic ingredients can be labelled ‘made with organic ingredients’.

What is the difference between organic and free range?

Free-range is a term given to animals that are free to roam. The animals may be treated with veterinary medicines and the food provided may contain additives.

Organic farmers use 100% plant food and sick animals are treated with homeopathic remedies only. If animals on an organic farm receive veterinary medicines or if the plants are found to contain traces of chemicals or genetically modified material, the products lose their organic status.

Consumer issues

The growing interest in organic food is most likely a reaction to consumer unease over pesticide and veterinary drug use, food scares, lack of trust in the food industry and a growing need to consume healthier food. Some of these issues are listed below:

Cost: Foods farmed through organic methods are more expensive for a number of reasons, including lower yields, labour intensity, higher start-up costs, requirements for land to remain fallow for long periods and the costs of the accreditation of the process. This makes organic food inaccessible to many consumers.

Consumer choice: Organic foods provide an alternative to foods produced by conventional methods which may make use of biotechnology.

Environmental protection: The management practices used in organic farming aim to minimise damage to the environment. This appeals to people with a sense of responsibility toward environmental issues. However, it must be emphasised that all sectors of the food industry are obliged to conform to food safety standards and good manufacturing practices aimed at minimising pollution and environmental damage.

The FACS message

There is no credible evidence to show that organic food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food. Organic food differs only in the way it is grown and processed. Despite this, there is a large group of people who prefer organic foods to non-organic products and for this reason; producers have ensured that alternatives remain available.

Although some disagreement still exists, everyone agrees that we should be including at least five servings of fruit and vegetables, and sufficient grains into our daily diets, whether from an organic or inorganic source.