Organic Myths

Organic food items seem to be popping up all over the place. Lots of grocery and discount stores are adding or expanding their selections of organic items. The organically certified food items available range from potato chips and soda to the more traditional items like vegetables and fruit.

If food item is organic does that mean its better for you and the environment? The answer is maybe. This article "6 Myths About Organic Food” attempts to dispel some common misconceptions about organic food items. Some of the statements like “Myth #4 You don’t have to be as careful about washing it” are accurate. The basic message is that regardless of production practice you still need to wash your food. Food borne pathogens, such as E. coli, don’t discriminate between organic and conventionally grown food.

Myth #6 “It’s better for you” is less related to production but interesting all the same. A common misconception if a food item is labeled “certified organic” or “made with organic ingredients” it is inherently better for you. Really it depends more on what the food item is. Take potatoes for example. By nature a potato is a healthy vegetable. Potato chips on the other hand are not healthy (in large quantities) regardless of how they were grown.

The rational behind the first myth “Organic food is always better for the environment” brings up some interesting points. While it’s true that many pesticides and other chemicals used in conventional farming are harmful to the environment, there are pesticides and chemicals that can be used on organic farms.

To be continued…