Tips on Buying "Organic" Foods

Shoppers may see signs and labels promoting organic foods in the grocery store. But many consumers are confused about what exactly makes a product "organic"; what are the advantages of buying organic and whether organics cost more. Tricia DiPersio, a registered dietician from the Wild Oats Marketplace is here with some useful advice on buying organic foods.

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Certified Organic Is Better Any Way You Slice It

Organic is better for all people and our planet. Whether you choose to eat healthy or not, purchasing certified organic products makes a huge impact on the environment and your personal health.

Consumers typically do pay a premium for organic food, but when they choose organic, they also get more nutritional value for their dollar -- and more nutrients per calorie consumed. The higher levels of antioxidants in organic foods, in particular, are powerful allies in promoting healthy immune systems, and in avoiding disease and damage to cells caused, or made worse, by inflammation.

Purchasing certified organic products helps eliminate the use of growth hormones, genetically engineered drugs and feeds and reduces the amount of pesticides going into drinking water.

Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are four times more likely to contain pesticide residues compared to organic produce. In a study, conducted in USA this year, involving 23 school-aged children showed they all tested positive for exposure to one of the riskiest class of insecticides called organophosphates (OP) after consuming conventional foods. After the children switched to organic sources of the same foods for just five days, levels of OP insecticides had virtually disappeared. After just three days back on conventional foods, OP levels went right back up to their pre-study numbers.

Organic can no longer be a small movement. If we want to reap the real benefits of organic, we are going to have to produce more of it. The products that do carry the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic seal, are doing the right thing and are heavily regulated.

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The European Union has banned the use of soft PVC plastic in pacifiers, bite rings, and other teething toys. Mattel Inc., a leading toy manufacturer, also recently pledged to remove PVC from its products and to switch to plant-based plastics.

In 1991, UNICEF and the World Health Organization launched the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) to ensure that all maternities—whether free standing or in hospitals—become centers of breastfeeding support. A designated “baby-friendly” maternity facility doesn't accept free or lowcost breast milk substitutes, feeding bottles, or teats and implements specific steps to support successful breastfeeding.

Since the BFHI began, more than 15,000 facilities in 134 countries have been awarded baby-friendly status. In Cuba, where 49 of the country's 56 hospitals and maternity facilities are baby-friendly, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at four months almost tripled in six years—from 25 percent in 1990 to 72 percent in 1996.

The British Soil Association reported in 2003 that 75 percent of British babies now eat organic baby food on a regular basis.

Organic baby food is one of the fastest growing segments of the organic food market, and the range of selections is expanding rapidly. U.S. supermarket sales of organic baby food increased nearly 2,200 percent between 1989 and 1995—from $1 million to $25 million—while overall baby food sales grew just 20 percent, to $1 billion.

In the late 1990s, the German baby food manufacturer Hipp converted all of its production lines to organic—making it one of the world’s leading organic food processors.