When I became a parent I decided that I was going to do my best to keep things green, organic, and simple. (I can hear you all laughing right now.) I'm not going to lie and say that I am 100% organic granola mommy, but I try my best. One hurdle I came up against was the glut of information, much of it contradictory, about organic products. If it says natural is that the same as organic? What is organic, anyway? Is anyone regulating this? In the interest of passing on information, I put together a few bits of what I found to be the most helpful information.
What does it all mean??
100% Organic - product contains only organically produced ingredients. They can contain added water and salt
Organic - Must have at least 95% organically produced products.
Made With Organic Ingredients - Must contain at least 70% organic ingredients, but cannot use the USDA organic seal.
Free Range or Free Roaming - Poultry must have outdoor access, but this can also mean limited space or a fenced in area. (Wouldn't you always put a fence around chickens??)
Natural - Cannot contain artificial ingredients or added color and should be minimally processed. That means that the raw form of the product cannot be fundamentally altered.
No Hormones - Something I did not know is that you are not allowed to use hormones on pork or poultry at any time, so watch out if you think that a company is trying to market "hormone free chicken" It's all hormone free, organic or not. Beef, however, can contain hormones that are used on the cattle.
No Antibiotics - This applies to beef and poultry. They have to provide documentation that no antibiotics were used.
What about produce? I always thought that I should buy everything organic. That can be very pricey. As is turns out, some fruits and vegetables have a natural barrier to pesticides in the form of thick skins.
Lowest in Pesticides (after being washed):
Onions, Avocados, Pineapples, Mangoes, Asparagus, Kiwis, Bananas, Cabbage, Broccoli, Eggplants
Highest in Pesticides (consider buying organic, if possible):
Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Pears, Spinach, Potatoes
Want some more information? Follow the links below!
The Organic Center
USDA Organic Program
Organic Authority
Source: Clean Eating Magazine: Organic Chemistry
Summer 2008, pg.64
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2 comments:
Great post! This is SUCH an
overwhelming topic, and while the no-brainer may be to just buy organic (better for us, better for the planet, better politically, etc.) there is no denying the pocket-book impact. I always get past this by thinking, "I'd rather pay for good food, then doctors."
One thought on bananas. I had always heard that even though they have an outer skin, that it is somewhat permeable and a lot of pesticides and chemicals get through. This guys has some good info to share on that:
http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/art_bananaspestic.html
Also, this blogger:
http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2008/06/whole-wheat-cookie-recipe-yip-yap.html
She quotes in part:
"After harvest, bunches of conventional bananas are floated in tanks of sodium hydrochlorate solution to dissolve the drips of latex sap that can discolor the fruit. Experiments have shown that fungicide-treated bananas can develop off-flavors. Yet "hands" of bananas (the small bunches we see in markets) are conventionally treated with fungicides by being placed in polyethylene bags with blocks of vermiculite treated with potassium permanganate to absorb the ethylene ripening gas that bananas give off. This allows the bananas to be stored and shipped over a month's time before they start ripening.
And that's just what happens after they leave the soil-destroying, chemical laden, disease- and fungus-ridden plantations. Yet according to Cox, when bananas are under organic cultivation "the soil improves in health, amount of soil life, availability of nutrients, resistance to soil pests and diseases, and its ability to produce extra high quality bananas and plantains." Seems like a no-brainer to me."
Great post! Thanks for the good information. And thanks for adding my blog to your blogroll. That's so flattering!
Wendy
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