Spectrum, Joann Pan
Published April 24, 2008
Hungry students are unaware that the non-organic foods they are eating deposits more than 30 pesticides into their bodies every day.
Since 1996, more than a dozen pesticides have been taken off the market because of potential health risks, according to Consumer Reports. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) increases the number of tests for pesticides every year.
In the meantime, students can avoid these risks by trying an organic diet.
Organic products are food or fibers grown on land that is free of known toxins, chemical pesticides and fertilizers for at least three years, according to Janice Cochran, dietitian and nutritionist with Wellness Education Services.
Organic meat, poultry and egg products come from farms that use organic feed without neurotoxins such as arsenic or heavy metals.
Organic animal products are from animals that had access to the outdoors, according to Cochran. Food labels may be misleading though, according to Consumer Reports. Labels such as "free range" or "natural" do not necessarily mean that the animals were roaming free.
Food labeled "organic" means 95 percent of the ingredients is organically produced. Only food labeled "100 percent organic" must entirely contain organic ingredients, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). "Made with organic ingredients," means at least 70 percent of ingredients of a product are organically made.
Students may have to pay on average 50 percent more for organic food or as much as 100 percent more for organic milk or meat, according to Consumer Reports.
By switching to a mostly organic diet, people can experience better health and support beneficial farming techniques.
"Crops are rotated from field to field, rather than growing the same crop year after year. Cover crops such as clover are planted to add nutrients to the soil and prevent weeds," Cochran said. "Food has been minimally processed with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation and was not produced using genetically modified organisms."
Students who don't have the funds to go completely organic can purchase the organic versions of only the foods with the highest pesticide load to avoid going broke.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and strawberries. Those with the least amount are onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapples and mangos.
Many local supermarkets carry organic foods, and some, like Wegmans Food Markets, have a store-brand version of the foods, according to the Wegmans Web site.
Organic food markets in Buffalo, such as the Lexington Co-operative Market on Elmwood Avenue, carry a wide selection of organic foods including produce, milk, yogurt, and cheese, according to their Web site, lexington.coop.com
Cochran also recommends Feel Rite Health Food Shoppes in the Main Place Mall that specializes in organic and natural foods.
Without leaving the campus, students have access to organic foods right outside of Capen Undergraduate Library at the end of the summer. The University Community Farmers Market features local farmers who grow food without toxic pesticides or fertilizers.
"The farmers' markets may carry organically grown produce - talk directly to who's growing your food," Cochran said.
Cochran also recommends two local Community Supported Agriculture farms (CSA) that grow organically: Porter Farms and Thorpes Farm. CSAs grow crops naturally with organic standards, according to nativeofferings.com. In this process, there are no synthetic pesticides, herbicides fungicides, and fertilizers. An added bonus: Porter Farms and Thorpes Farm have delivery services in the area.
Additional reporting by Chris Sullivan, staff writer
