Organic Food: Is it Really Worth It?

Posted at December 7, 2009

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How many of you buy organic food?

In the past six months, I’ve started to put some serious consideration into what I put into my system. After reading the Paleo Diet, Mark’s Daily Apple, and Vin Miller’s Natural Bias, I’ve realized that I was completely unaware of where my food actually came from and what was in it. Up until recently, I was completely okay with this. In fact, I often went out of my way to stay ignorant and oblivious purely out of spite. Let me explain why:

I Hate hype

I hate hype, I don’t like fads, and sometimes I go against what’s popular simply because it gives me something to do. When this organic trend started a few years back, I figured it was just an evolution of the previous food fad: Low Fat! Take out the fat (most of which is probably good for you), add sugar and other super-processed ingredients (which is all bad for you), call it “healthy choice,” and then watch the money roll in. I didn’t buy into that fad, and I didn’t plan on buying into this “fad” either. I mean, come on: they sell organic pop tarts.

When I combined my general skepticism, inherent ability to rebel against certain things for no reason, and the truckloads of money brought in by the organic food business ($52 billion in 2008), it’s easy to see why I refused to jump on the bandwagon.

Then, yesterday happened.

Food Inc.

Yesterday I finally watched the documentary, “Food, Inc.”

I won’t go into great detail about the movie as that can be found anywhere on the net (Read Ebert’s really good review here). Just go rent it or watch it on instant queue through Netflix. After all the reading I’ve done, books I’ve studied, and people with whom I’ve conversed over the past year, I was already tipping in this direction – the movie finally put me over the edge: I’m going to start eating more organic foods. I’ve come to this decision for a few main reasons:

What does Organic Mean?

When you walk into a supermarket, you see all kinds of stuff that are labeled “organic.” Other than the higher price tag, do you really know what you’re getting? I certainly didn’t, so I did some digging. Here is what’s required in order for food to be labeled organic:

  • “100% Organic”: Can only contain organic ingredients, meaning no antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation or synthetic pesticides or fertilizers can be used. Can display the USDA organic logo and/or the specific certifying agent’s logo.
  • “Organic”: Contains 95% organic ingredients, with the balance coming from ingredients on the approved National List. These products can also display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifier’s logo.
  • “Made with Organic Ingredients”: Must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the package, and the balance must be on the National List. These products may display the certifier’s logo but not the USDA organic logo
  • “100% Organic”: Can only contain organic ingredients, meaning no antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation or synthetic pesticides or fertilizers can be used. Can display the USDA organic logo and/or the specific certifying agent’s logo.
  • “Organic”: Contains 95% organic ingredients, with the balance coming from ingredients on the approved National List. These products can also display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifier’s logo.
  • “Made with Organic Ingredients”: Must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the package, and the balance must be on the National List. These products may display the certifier’s logo but not the USDA organic logo

    • What about meat? Every piece of meat these days is labeled with some term that insinuates “good and healthy,” but it’s pretty unclear what all of these things mean. Fortunately, Tim Ferriss over at the 4 Hour Workweek broke down what these different labels mean, and which ones you should be looking for: (“humanely raised,” “certified humane,” and “biodynamic” are the ones to look for). There’s a lot of marketing terms thrown around when it comes to meat, so you need to be careful:

    We can’t be sheep – I came across a great article over on Vin Miller’s “Natural Bias” site, discussing the issues with the “organic” labeling system. It’s up to us to actually take the time and understand what we’re eating instead of blindly buying into the hype. This is a “for profit” industry, which means there will definitely be people out there trying to exploit it. Yes, doing so requires a few extra minutes reading a label or finding out where the food came from. In the long run though, a few extra minutes here and a few extra bucks there could mean a world of difference for your health.

    Are these companies selling out? Or scaling up? As it turns out, the major food makers are buying as many organic companies as possible (here’s a great PDF showing what’s up). Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about this. Part of me thinks these companies are just looking for the cheapest way to take over the organic food industry too, while the rest of me thinks this might be a good thing – by operating under these big umbrella companies, the smaller brands (as long as they keep their standards) will have better access to a larger market with improved channels of distribution.

    What’s Important to Buy Organic? What Isn’t?

    Is it important to eat EVERYTHING organic, or can you get away with just some stuff? Once again, I had no clue, so I set out to find the answer. Research FTW!

    FRUITS AND VEGETABLES – According to the Environmental Working Group, these thirteen fruits and vegetables purchased from normal stores had the most toxins and pesticides in them. That means you should be buying organic whenever possible:

    If you have a tight budget (and who doesn’t these days), you can get away with not spending more for organic versions of the food fruits and veggies listed below:

    There’s a pretty good read up on Smart Money on how to not break the bank when buying organic food. They discuss which foods to buy, which to avoid, and where to look to get the deals. They also explain why some fruits/veggies should be organic and others don’t need to be.

    MEAT – After research, meat is clearly one thing that absolutely needs to be purchased from organic sources. Your options are to either buy from a local butcher or search out meat that is “humanely raised,” “certified humane,” and “biodynamic.” In case you missed it earlier, here’s a link to how to read meat labels properly.

    DAIRY – From what I’ve found, it sounds like it’s a smart move to buy organic eggs. However, the jury is still out on organic milk. According to MSNBC, the benefits don’t really outweigh the cost. I found this other controversial article where a veterinarian advises against buying organic milk for other reasons. I still don’t know if organic milk part of the organic hype machine or is there enough benefit to outweigh it’s incredibly high price. (More about this at the bottom.)

    My Plan

    I’m still a skeptical S.O.B., but I think this is a good move. I’m going to have to be creative with my money, decisive on what I decide to eat organic and what I continue to eat normally, and I need to make sure I cut through the BS and buy the stuff that is ACTUALLY good for me. Here’s the plan:

    I Need Your Help!

    I’m a total n00b on this stuff, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you eat organically, what do you do during the winter months when your favorite foods are out of season? Is Whole Foods full of it, or is it priced high for a good reason?  Is organic milk worth it?  How would you change my plan?

    Let’s hear it. I need your help!

    [edit - if you're just reading now, make sure you check out the comments.  Lots of good discussion in there]

    -Steve

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    photo from NatalieMaynor

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    Diet, Personal
    • Eustace
      Ah, I hate to be that guy, considering I've gotten so much help from so many of your articles, but this organic food business is no less bullshit than eastern medicine. There is no science to support the notion that organic foods have more nutrients or less toxins. In fact, organic farms use pesticides (yup, that's right) made of natural components. Thus, through a loophole, they can claim they don't use pesticides. The result is much more harmful chemicals than artificial pesticides, since artificial pesticides have been tweaked and improved for years. In addition, non-organic foods are often engineered to have more nutrients than organic foods. So if you want to spend a lot more money for absolutely no benefit, go out a buy organic like crazy. Well there is one benefit - the placebo effect.

      These days people throw around words like "processed" waaaay too often. You realize that by cutting a food item into smaller pieces is technically processing it. You could make an argument for anything being processed - it's such a juvenile concept. Just because something isn't "natural," it's considered bad. Yeah, how about that polio vaccine, that really screwed us over, right? Just too unnatural. The fact is, we aren't making mutant produce. It's not genetically unstable or toxic or anything, just larger, more resistant to disease, better-tasting, etc. This newfound aversion to all things man made is just absurd.
    • we live in such an instant gratification country where buying organic and not getting all the chemicals into your body might have health benefits 20 years from now and most people don't see past today
    • toddhelmkamp
      Hey Steve,

      Here's part one of a primer on organics that I wrote a while back for my other website:

      http://thegreenerchristian.com/2008/03/31/buyin...
    • NerdFitness
      Thanks Todd,

      I'll definitely check it out.

      -NF Steve
    • corrina_urdietitian
      Good article! I am happy to hear that you will be visiting Whole Foods. I can not afford to buy a majority of my groceries there, but I go there for certain items and to try new things. You will keep going back just b/c of the employees and values of the company. If you find some items you like, you can get a 10% discount on a case (this applies to sale prices as well).

      As for the milk, consider buying from a local organic farmer. This is good practice for several reasons; ur supporting local farmers, less environmental impact, no rBGHT (we have not seen all the fall out for this), and more humane treatment of animals. Another important thing to remember about milk is that cows make milk for their babies, not for humans. Also, our bodies are not designed to digest milk over a life time. The cows are often artificially impregnated to keep them producing milk, which in turn leads to more livestock, which results in a greater degradation of the enviromnment. Cutting back on your milk consumption may also be a good practice.

      As an RD and a single mom of a 14y/o vegeterian, I do what I can on a limited budget by making sure that every trip to the grocery store includes a few local and organic items. I also grow a limited amount of organ vegetables each year.
    • About 2 years ago, we discovered WWOOFing. Willing Workers on Organic farms. It's a wonderful program that connects volunteers with organic farms. As volunteers you get a free place to stay and free meals in exchange for a certain number of hours. I've worked on an apple farm, chicken farm, and a raw/vegan wellness retreat. We're now doing an alternative arrangement - on a 600 acre organic farm in France fixing up a 19th century gite.

      Through WWOOFing we've learned a lot about food, gardening, and organics, plus the side-lines that go with it like recycling and sustainability. We've made incredible friends and we always know we have a place to go when times are bad.

      I think everyone should be more involved in their own food from growing to cooking to preserving for the winter. We take so much for granted, and we eat mindlessly. If you make things from scratch, you end up using less and wasting less. I wish I'd found WWOOFing years ago.
    • I watched an episode of Simpsons last night that was making fun of organic food. WooT! hehe

      For the most part, it just seems like a way large corporations can play to peoples fears and charge more in the process (ie...Organic poptarts).

      But I do know there are somethings that are definitely better to get as "organic", but it always seemed so rediculously pricey to me (especially at Wholefoods, never been in Trader Joes), which is why I stuck w/ the "normal" stuff.

      I fell asleep during Food, Inc...so I think I missed all of the really really bad stuff. Might have to rewatch :-P
    • Hey again!
      Great, now I have something to watch tonight.
      This is my understanding of organic: Meats, definitely most important. A lot of the toxins are fat soluble, and thus stay in the tissue. Next, fruits and vegetables with thin, soft skins, like berries, tomatoes, peaches, etc, because the pesticides and such can easily penetrate this skin. Last come the things with a tough, thick skin, bananas, grapefruit etc. That's my understanding anyway, but thanks for doing more research and filling us in. =)
    • NerdFitness
      Hey Anne!

      Thanks for the comment. Makes sense to me on the fruit - the tougher skin stuff can keep out more of the elements, so they're safer. Better to save money where I can!

      -NF Steve
    • JFreedom
      I don't mind the aspect of using methods to increase production in the vegetation or meat industries, per se, as certain technologies becomes necessary when you start talking about feeding people on the scale of millions. When proper sanitation is sacrificed in the name of cost-cutting though, I think that's where the problems start to arise. That article on unregulated pig farming highlighted some major issues with that industry.

      As a side note though, on 'real' dairy farms in Kentucky, I've seen cows standing in their own crap all day, even though they have 10 acres to graze :)
    • NerdFitness
      I don't know man, Cows are pretty smart.

      Have you seen all the pro-chicken campaigning they've done for Chik-fil-A? It's amazing.

      -NF Steve
    • jimHa
      Hi Steve,

      Great article. I find that Whole Foods isn't really that expensive when you stick to just meat and veggies. There are many high-priced exotic foods there, but the basics are reasonable.

      Also, you may want to consider adding fish oil to your diet. Omega-3's were essentially removed from our food stream when farming when industrial. Eating organic will bring a lot of that back (farm animals tend to produce Omega-3's in their meat when fed greens, rather than grains), but it doesn't hurt to supplement.

      Thanks for the article!
      --Jim
    • NerdFitness
      Hey Jim!

      Thanks for the comment. I did quite a bit of reading on fish oil, omega 3's, etc. I ended up buying a bottle of krill oil which doesn't have that fishy smell associated with fish oil. I always forget to take it though, so I'll have to take the pill consistently for a few weeks to see if I notice any difference.

      -NF Steve
    • Steve-

      Let me know what you come up with on your chicken research! I'd like to know, as I try not to eat a lot of red meats.
    • NerdFitness
      Hey m00se, will do man.

      -NF Steve
    • Actually, thanks for this. I read the article on not breaking the bank on organic produce, and I found out about a CSA farm in Boulder right near where I train. I think it's worth looking into, for sure.
    • Anonymous
      I happen to know a little about chicken.....

      Free Range is a scam..... USDA definition of Free Range is simply a normal chicken house that has "access to the outside"... i.e. a "door" is cut in the side of the house, and a fenced in area outside, is available. Most chickens do not go outside, but prefer the inside of a warm, comfortable house. Also, thiink about what a chicken can eat if 'ranging freely"... anything, including whatever falls from the sky.... Also, all airborn deseases, and infectious germs are available to "free range" chiickens.

      Virtually all chickens raised in America are "all natural", again by USDA definition. No chicken company adds hormones, or steroids to its chickens.

      Organic is really the only different aspect of raising chickens. USDA has the following requirtements for labeling "Organic" chicken:

      1. The number of birds raised in a house is about half of "normal" chicken houses.
      2. Only organic feed is allowed (chicken feed is 65% corn, and 30% soymeal. The other 5% of normal chicken feed is bonemeal, feather meal, blood meal and vitamins. Organic chicken cannot receive the vitamins, or medicine normal chickens do. Normal chickens are vaccinated as day old-chicks, organic chickens are not. Therefore the mortality rate for organic is 2-3 times normal chickens. Hence the increased costs.

      Truly organic chicken does taste somewhat different from regular, but not necessarily better.
    • NerdFitness
      Although the comment is anonymous, I know the commenter and I can vouch for his knowledge on the topic.

      Definitely some food for thought. I'm definitely going to look more into the "free range" products and do some more thorough research.

      What I got out of this whole thing is that organic or not, it's important to know where your food is coming from - by buying locally when possible you can learn exactly where stuff came from and how it was raised (fruit, veggies, meat, whatever).

      -NF Steve
    • AM
      Excellent post. Something else to consider is the major difference between "industrial organic" and "local organic." Organic items from your local farmer's market are likely to be more nutritious and certainly more environmentally sustainable that good produced by the "organic" subsidiaries of Cargill, etc. For more on this, I strongly recommend "Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. This book compares and contrasts industrial, industrial organic, local (small-scale) organic, and hunting/gathering. If you liked Food, Inc., you will like this book, I think.
    • NerdFitness
      Hey AM,

      I'm definitely going to take a look at Omnivore's Dilemma. After watching the movie last night, I put the book on reserve at my library. I have a few other books to get through first, but I'm excited to read it.

      -NF Steve
    • Good to see you opening your mind to what's out there. Marketing is a powerful thing. If most people realized how much it had them fooled, they'd be pretty embarrassed.

      There's nothing conspiratory about it, just read the labels and see if you can identify what the ingredients are. If you can't pronounce them, that might be worth looking into (and they don't even list the pesticides, fertilizers and such used...let alone those used in what was fed to the animals you might be eating).

      When people see the obesity, diabetes and heart disease rates going through the roof, they still think the "food" they are eating is just fine. But it's not just lazy and video games to blame.

      Don't look up the Rolling Stone article on pig farming if you like bacon...
    • NerdFitness
      Hey James,

      My friend just read the article you mentioned and told me not to read it while eating lunch. I'll wait until later on today! hahaha

      -NF Steve
    • Justin
      Steve,

      For the beef aspect, I would highly recommend that you research grass-fed beef. I would love to see a well-researched article about it. Obviously, it really only covers what the animal is fed, and so other aspects of the raising still need to be looked at. But the initial surveys I've done show that grass-fed beef has fat ratios similar to fish, stronger taste, and they don't need the constant flow of antacids that grain-fed beef does. Sounds like you can't lose!
    • NerdFitness
      Thanks for the comment Justin,

      Looks like grass-fed beef is definitely the way to go. Honestly, I don't know if I've ever had grass-fed beef! I'll certainly start looking into it.

      -NF Steve
    • If you ever find out anything bad about Chilean farm-raised salmon, don't tell me.
    • NerdFitness
      Jordan,

      I don't know how to tell you this, but Chilean farm-raised salmon are responsible for most of the world's problems. You don't think the Berlin Wall just fell on its own, do you?

      I've already said too much, I think they're following me...

      -NF Steve
    • Nikhil
      Trader Joe's is the best grocery store on earth. I like whole foods too (it definitely has more selection), but Trader Joe's is typically easier to navigate and CHEAPER. I've had Food, Inc. in my netflix queue for a while and now it's finally available for streaming. I need to watch!
    • NerdFitness
      HEY NIKHIL!

      Good call on Trader Joe's. Re: Food Inc - It's only 90 minutes, and it's an instant queue movie. Just make sure you don't plan on eating right afterwards, or right before. There's one part with a cow that almost had me throwing up.

      -NF Steve
    • Steve,

      Great post. For me, seeing Food Inc was a reminder to be conscious of what I eat. I think it matters less where I shop than what I am eating. The movie does a nice job distilling a lot of the content down to a few simple questions at the end and I think most of those resonate with my eating habits:
      -Know where your food comes from (farm raised, etc.)
      -Buy organic if it makes sense (you definitely hit this on the head)
      -Buy local
      -Read the ingredients on packaged goods and if you are comfortable eating it, then eat it. If not, pick something else. I've found just reading the ingredients can be a deterrent to some foods.

      It's possible to still eat cheaply and healthily, it just takes a little effort. Easy Mac may be cheap, but there's an organic and very delicious mac and cheese made by a company called "Annie's" that is about 2 bucks a box. Throw in some grilled chicken (farm raised, of course) and veggies and you've got a pretty delicious meal.
    • NerdFitness
      Thanks for the comment Chris. I loved the end of Food Inc. too, as it breaks everything down into bite-sized pieces.

      -NF Steve
    • Great article, Steve! I'm happy to see that you've opened your mind to healthier eating and am thrilled to know that I had a part in it.

      Food, Inc. is a great documentary and it's nice to see that it's doing it's job. I think it has the potential to give many people the wake up call they need and I encourage everyone to watch it.

      You have a good point about the potential positive aspects of companies like Coca-Cola, Kellogg, and Cargill buying into the organic food industry. Hopefully the organic companies they're investing in will be left to operate as is under their own standards, but I find it hard to believe that this will be the case long term. I would be happy to be proven wrong, though.

      For high quality pasture raised chicken parts that are conveniently cut and packaged, check out Blackwing Quality Meats. Also check out eatwild.com to find other farmers to buy from directly. In regard to milk, I don't think it's worth drinking unless it's raw (unpasteurized). The organic milk that you typically see in grocery stores is pasteurized which practically reduces it to the nutritional equivalent of sugar water, and brands like Horizon and Great Value (Wal-Mart) may not even really be organic despite being certified. Check out realmilk.com for some good info on raw milk and dairy.

      Definitely check out Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. They're both great places to shop. I've been to both, but don't have anything like them where I live. Be happy you have them! Whole Foods has been criticized for having questionable corporate values, but I still think it's a great resource to have access to.
    • NerdFitness
      Hey Vin,

      Thanks for stopping by the site, been a fan of yours for about a year or so. I agree with you that these organic companies being bought out by the big corps probably isn't good. I'm guessing they all started small, fought 'the man,' and then the Man threw a check with tons of zeroes at them and they decided to retire to the Caribbean. Can't say I'm suprised.

      Thank you for the heads up on chicken and milk. I'll certainly be swinging by my Trader Joe's more often. Hopefully it's open late, as I like to shop real late at night so I don't have to deal with the crowds.

      -NF Steve
    • AWA
      Thanks for your informative post and best of luck to you. Remember, organic doesn't necessarily mean raised with high-welfare. See this post on our blog http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/2009/08/29...


      I would like to bring your attention to Animal Welfare Approved, the high-welfare label that the World Society for the Protection of Animals calls "the most stringent" of all of the food labels regarding humane treatment of farm animals.

      The Animal Welfare Approved program audits and certifies family farms that utilize high-welfare methods of farming. Farmers benefit from having a third-party affirmation of their practices and consumers benefit by knowing that the label means what it says.

      What Does the AWA Seal Mean for You?

      Animals are raised outdoors on pasture or range on true family farms with the “most stringent” welfare standards according to the World Society for the Protection of Animals in both 2008 and 2009 reports. The standards have been developed in collaboration with scientists, veterinarians, researchers and farmers and incorporate best practice and recent research. Annual audits by experts in the field cover birth to slaughter.

      http://www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org

      Visit the website for a searchable database of where you can find AWA products across the US, plus if you sign up for our eblast list, we're about to make a major announcement today about where our products are widely available.

      http://list-manage.com/subscribe.phtml?id=3a743...
    • Thanks for helping tilt me towards the "organic" side of the spectrum Steve... I'm also hunting down a copy of Food, Inc. to peruse, but since in my capacity as Media Technician at my school I've converted videos for the Food Tech department and watched the meat processing plant documentaries... I kinda knew most of that...

      I gotta say, I've started reading the articles you've linked, and I'm probably going to write my own on my blog, but from a Hong Kong perspective... we do have one major supermarket here that specialises on being the "wholesome and organic whenever possible" provider... and we do get organic food in our local chains... but trying to find locally produced (or as close to local... i.e. China-produced) meat and veg is kinda tough...

      You've got me thinking now and wanting to research!! Darn it!

      Haha, keep up the great work

      Jai
    • NerdFitness
      Hey Jai,

      I think the most important thing is to find out what works best based on your own situation. For me, I have a Trader Joe's right between my house and my office, so shopping there makes a lot of sense. Ask around your area, find out what the good stuff is and where it comes from, and try to go with that if it's economically viable and close enough so you're not driving two hours each way to get it.

      -NF Steve
    • Totally agree. I just wish that I spoke Cantonese (the local Chinese dialect) so I could ask the butchers and the stall owners in the many markets here questions about the produce... Although with that helpful breakdown of what veg/fruit to get organic and not organic, it's a lil easier I gotta admit!

      I'm kinda lucky that I live close to 3 upscale supermarkets (including 360 which is the major organic/natural supermarket) and lots of smaller ones and a coupla wet-markets... I am kinda spoiled for choice, but it does also mean that my weekly shop takes me to 3-5 different places!

      What is nice is that there is a growing selection of regionally-produced "Organic" goods and the choices are getting better and better!

      When it comes to dairy, I gotta say that I'm not so convinced on the organic issue, I definitely don't 'taste' any difference.

      Jai
    • Personally, I just don't see the whole organic thing being worth it either. Like you noted, in the case of some fruits, maybe, but otherwise, I'm out.
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