Palm Beach Post, Kylene Kiang
Published September 16, 2006
At the local supermarket, the organic fruit and vegetable display can be a frequent stop for health-conscious consumers. But turn to the next aisle, and shoppers are likely to find a different array of "natural" and "organic" foods.
All-natural potato chips. Organic breakfast burritos. Traverse the frozen foods aisle, and one can unearth multiple varieties of organic three-cheese lasagna.
Once the symbol of foods produced by environmentally friendly means, the organic label in the United States has with time cheapened into a gimmicky marketing tool, some organic farmers and activists say.
And as mainstream supermarket chains increase their clutch on the lucrative organic industry, the same critics contend that big business is influencing efforts to tighten national organic standards and regulations. Many big businesses entering the growing market counter that simply by doing so, they are benefitting both the environment and consumers.
By Department of Agriculture standards, the "USDA organic" seal means that at least 95 percent of the ingredients in the product are farmed without using chemicals, hormones, pesticides or any method regarded as harmful to the environment.
Organic or sustainable farming techniques can include using ducks and insects for pest and weed control, water conservation and natural methods of soil replenishment. In the past, supporting organic farming also meant favoring locally grown food over mass-produced varieties that are often grown using greater quantities of fossil fuels for production and transport.
On store shelves, the line between organic and mass produced has been blurred. Tostitos now offers organic tortilla chip selections. More recently, Frito-Lay introduced a brand of "Natural" Doritos.
"It is sort of a marketing gimmick," said registered dietitian Cindy Moore, who is director of nutrition therapy at the Cleveland Clinic. She added that not all organic foods are equal. "If you have a product with limited nutrients, making them with organic products isn't going to make it better."
USDA spokeswoman Joan Shaffer said the organic label is a "marketing program" that only specifies how the food was processed and has no indication of food safety or nutrition. The USDA works with 95 independent organic certification agencies worldwide - 55 domestic and 40 foreign.
The organic movement gained much attention in the 1970s when the government banned the pesticide DDT. Spawned in response to the often environmentally toxic practices of mass agriculture, the movement was seen as an eccentricity of the earth-loving hippie set. Organic foods were not simply about good eating, but doing good for the environment and promoting a healthier, more sustainable place in which to live.
Consumers now, however, tend to equate "organic" with "healthy." But that comparison is not often true, said Brad Stufflebeam, an organic farmer based in Brenham, Texas, who noted the explosion of processed foods on supermarket shelves with "organic" labels.
"Just because it's organic cereal with organic sugar doesn't make it healthy," Stufflebeam said.
On food packaging, "natural" has no relation to organic and only implies that the product contains no artificial ingredients or artificial food coloring, Moore said. " 'Natural' has nothing to do with how the food was grown, handled or processed."
Studies have shown some health benefits of eating organic foods, especially in developing children whose bodies are less able to deal with pesticide residue found often on conventional fruits and vegetables. Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration permits the use of more than 300 synthetic food additives in conventional foods. U.S. certified organic foods contain none of these additives.
Aside from possible pesticide residue, "If you compare organically grown foods to conventionally grown foods, there is no significant difference in the nutrient profile between the two," Moore said. For example, organic and conventional strawberries will have relatively the same amount of carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins and minerals.
It is helpful for consumers to evaluate why they might be choosing organic food, whether it is for health reasons - to decrease possible risk to cancer by avoiding foods with pesticides - or for environmental reasons - to protect the water supply, encourage biodiversity or prevent soil erosion in farmlands, Moore said.
There might also be a socially-conscious reason where someone may want to support small farms or the impact on farm workers' health and rights, she added.
Big business goes organic
Some believe today's organic producers have turned into the industry they once fought against. Seeds of Change, an organic company that sells rice, grains and complementary sauces, has been owned by M&M Mars since 1997. Food bar and smoothie maker Odwalla began with "three friends, a few boxes of oranges and a simple vision," according to the company's Web site, which makes no mention that it was purchased by Coca-Cola Inc. in 2001.
Since 1997, the organic foods business has grown in sales by an average of 18.4 percent per year, amassing $13.8 billion in consumer sales last year, and about 23 percent of consumers say they regularly buy organic goods, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Now, national chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Safeway, Inc. are getting in on the action. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart stated its intent to double its number of organic products. And the list is diverse: pastas, olive oil, tea, peanut butter, fresh herbs, packaged salads, sour cream, seafood and a line of baby clothing made with organic cotton. Organic foods currently make up about 2.5 percent of total food sales in the country.
"Although we have sold organic food products for some time, our customers have not always thought of Wal-Mart as a place to find them," said company spokeswoman Karen Burk. "We want them to know that we have these products, and that we have them at prices that are better than those offered by the competition."
And to the discontent of organic farmers, Safeway stores such as Texas-based Randall's supermarkets are touting their own label, O Organics, eliminating the middleman and providing organic foods at a lower price for the consumer. Organic farmer Stufflebeam concedes that the increased corporate presence in the market has probably taken business away from some independent organic farms, but at the same time, mainstream chains are increasing public awareness of organic foods in general. Business has never been better, he says, adding that if customers want a share of the roughly 100 different varieties of heirloom vegetables and herbs Stufflebeam grows, they will have to put their name on a one-year waiting list.
To counteract the bigger, better, cheaper trend in organic foods, Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association said a movement for supporting locally-grown produce is "small, but growing."
Buying locally grown produce has become the latest mark of the consumer who wants to conserve fuel and reduce pollution created by shipping food internationally. The locally grown produce movement is about preserving farms as a community resource. Stufflebeam, the 35-year-old organic farmer who runs a 6-acre central Texas plot called Home Sweet Farm, believes that consumers want to develop good relationships with the people who grow their food. He calls it "the ultimate form of accountability."
kkiang@coxnews.com
Pesticides on food
High levels of pesticide residue can remain on food, even after a thorough washing. The Environmental Working Group lists 12 foods that it recommends buying organic, dubbed the "dirty dozen." These include:
Apples
Bell peppers
Celery
Cherries
Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
On the other hand, pesticide residues are rarer on these foods, according to the USDA:
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sweet corn
Kiwi
Mangoes
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Sweet peas
Sources: The Environmental Working Group, USDA.
Organic labels
The USDA certifies products as:
"100 percent organic"
All ingredients are completely organic
"Organic"
95 percent or more organic ingredients
"Made with organic . . ."
70 percent-95 percent organic ingredients
"Less than 70% organic ingredients"
The lowest classification
