PROS AND CONS OF ORGANIC FOODS
· People who choose to 'go organic' may do it because they think organic produce tastes better.
· They may also believe that it’s safer, more nutritious, better for animal welfare or better for the environment.
1. Reasons for buying organic food
· Organic farming is friendlier to the environment.
· Organic processed food contains no hydrogenated fat, while non-organic processed food does.
· Hydrogenated fat causes heart disease, so organic food options can help to protect your heart.
· If you are concerned about how animals are treated, then choosing organic food is a good idea.
· Organic farming ensures that animals are fed a natural diet and kept in free-range conditions.
· Genetically modified (GM) crops are not allowed under organic standards.
· Pesticide residue levels in organic food are lower as only a few chemicals are allowed in organic food production.
· However, it is possible to produce conventionally-grown fruit and vegetables with minimal residues too.
2. Reasons against buying organic food
· Organic food may spoil more quickly than non-organic produce as they do not contain artificial preservatives and are not irradiated.
· Organic food is more expensive to buy than non-organic food.
· Contrary to popular opinion, organic food production does allow a limited number of chemicals to be used, and may not be safer or more nutritious than food produced by conventional means.
· Eating organic food is often thought to be healthier than eating the equivalent non-organic produce, but there is no linkage between organic foods and health benefits.
3. Buying organic food
· The balance of your diet should be examined before considering which organic foods to buy.
· After making sure your diet is balanced, go for organic spinach, lettuce, cabbage and potatoes, as they have higher levels of vitamin C, magnesium, iron and phosphorus than their non-organic equivalents.
· Choose organic vegetable soup as it contains almost six times as much salicylic acid as non-organic, which helps to combat bowel cancer and the hardening of the arteries.
· Go for organic apples, as some non-organic apples are sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different pesticides, which are hard to remove even if the food is washed thoroughly.
· Choose organic meat, as organic standards have the highest levels of animal welfare safeguard.
4. Balancing organic and non-organic food
· It is likely that sales of organic food will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
· However, a totally organic diet may not necessarily provide the optimal balance of nutrients.
· It is important to maintain a balance in the overall diet content.