She Says: Organic Importance
I woke up this morning, had myself some yogurt, flax & fruit. Old picture, delicious breakfast.
Since writing the Worst, Better, Best Post and preparing for my Clean Living Month I’ve been thinking about organic food and products.
As a brief intro for those who might not know, “organic” is a term regulated by the USDA. Food must be certified by a third party agent and then can be labeled as follows:
1. 100 Percent Organic – may carry USDA Organic Seal if it contains only (excluding water & salt) organically produced ingredients and processing aide.
2. Organic – at least 95% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt) & no added sulfites, may carry the USDA Organic Seal.
3. Made With Organic – at least 70% organically produced ingredients, the front product panel may display the phrase "Made with Organic" followed by up to three specific ingredients, but cannot display the seal.
4. Less than 70 % of content is organic and may list only those ingredients that are organic on the ingredient panel with no mention of organic on the main panel, but cannot display the seal.
In an ideal world I would have unlimited funds to spend on all organic all the time. I know that organic food is better for me, and if you’ve ever seen the size of organic food compared to gigantic conventionally grown fruit, you might know why as well. Quite simply, non-organic food is toxic on some level. According to the Environmental Worker’s Group,
“Every year, new research is published demonstrating the toxicity of pesticides to human health and the environment, often at doses previously declared "safe" by the pesticide industry and the government.
As acknowledged by the U.S. and international government agencies, different pesticides have been linked with a variety of toxic effects, including:
- Nervous system effects
- Carcinogenic effects
- Hormone system effects
- Skin, eye and lung irritation
Pesticides are unique among the chemicals we release into the environment; they have inherent toxicity because they are designed to kill living organisms – insects, plants, and fungi that are considered "pests." Because they are toxic by design, many pesticides pose health risks to people, risks that have been acknowledged by independent research scientists and physicians across the world.”
So, in theory buying organic food is important to me. In practice, however, when I am at the store comparing prices I almost always go for conventional. It’s the cost factor every time!
Organic Produce
Here is a list of the 12 dirtiest produce, the “dirty dozen” with the highest pesticide load. The full list is here and contains things I eat all the time like cucumbers, oranges and bananas.
1. peaches
2. apples
3. celery
4. peppers
5. nectarines
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. lettuce
9. grapes (imported)
10. pears
11. spinach
12. potatoes
The site also has a guide you can download as an iPhone application or PDF to help you decide which produce to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are okay if organic isn’t available.
Organic Meat & Dairy
Meat and dairy are another whole beast! Here and here are short articles discussing some reasons why organic meat and dairy are better than non-organic. For me, it’s important that animals raised organically are not exposed to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and are not fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone, other artificial drugs or genetically modified foods. If you eat an animal, you eat whatever the animal ate! It is probably most important to me to buy organic dairy and meat.
Organic Products
Body products can also be certified organic. This is the last thing I ever think to buy organic, but the more I read about the toxins in my products, the more weary I become. It’s interesting that a product can be labeled as “Made with Organic” when it contains up to 30% synthetic materials that are not tested.
Here is a fun/scary site where you can search a product you have to learn more about it. For example, remember when I said my Murad moisturizer was paraben free? It was not listed on the bottle, but look what I found here.
It also explains the ingredients and some of the associated concerns.
You can find better for you alternatives for every product you can think of!
I am curious about your organic buying habits. Is buying organic products important to you? What percentage of your food is organic?Body products? How do you decide what to buy organic?
Tags: "worst, best", better, Clean Living Month, organic
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:16 am
Right now I buy organic dairy products and SOME fruits and veggies. Thanks for the dirty dozen list- my doctor actually referenced that at my last appt. She recommends that her preggo patients stick to organics for those 12 fruits and veggies.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
What a great post!! I appreciate information like this!
I too wish I had copious amounts of money to buy only organic…maybe one day
Thanks again for the informative post
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
Sorry- I forgot to answer your questions.
I try to buy organic as much as possible when it comes to food provided the price isn’t too steep.
I would say maybe 50%-65% is organic. I wish it were more but money is the issue. Organic can sometimes be double or more the price of the regular stuff. I tend to try to buy organic produce as oppose to organic macaroni- but would buy all organic if my salary were more (which I hope one day is the case!)
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
As much as I’d love to be able to buy organic all the time on all those items, it’s just not realistic right now. It’s WAY more expensive! I’ll shop farmers markets when I can, but other than that, I guess I’m just risking it!
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:41 am
Just playing the devil’s advocate mainly because I don’t care if my stuff is organic right now because we simply can’t afford it anyways. Paying my house bill is much more important to me at this point in my life, which is sometimes a struggle.
Anywho, I understand the organic meat thing about not eating the pesticides, etc, BUT I will tell you that my FIL works for one of the biggest meat producing companies in the US. They produce both organic and non-organic meat, and it is much more expensive (obviously) to raise organic meat and is no more humane than regular. For example, if a turkey gets sick on a “regular” meat farm, they can treat it. On an organic farm, if anything bad is happening with a bird (gets sick, etc) they just have to kill it and any others it may have infected.
So yes, you may not be getting pesticides, but I think sometimes people think “organic” also means “more humane”, and that’s not always the case.
I still the best case scenario is to get as much stuff locally as you can, when you can actually go see what is going on, how things are raised/grown, etc.
I have nothing against eating organic or not – I’m seriously just too poor to do it
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:52 am
Brandi: That’s interesting! I am not one of the people who argues that organic is less cruel. I think either way, killing an animal so I can eat it is cruel. I don’t care how well the animal was treated when it was alive! This is also not to say I never or will never eat meat.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 am
*hangs head in shame* on a consistent basis the only organic food products I buy are yogurt and carrots. Thanks for the great info!
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 am
This makes me sad b/c I think of all the pesticides I’m putting in my body. All of my fave fruits and veggies are on that list! I think I’m too poor for organic living haha
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 am
I’m definitely not as “organic aware” as I should be, but I’m working on it! The iPhone app sounds like a good idea for me
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
I tend to get pretty overwhelmed when it comes to figuring out what is most dangerous to my health. I do try and buy organic when I can, especially fruits and vegetables. I could probably be a little more diligent and aware though – thanks for this info!!
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
As much as I’d love to buy more organic things, I really can’t afford it right now. The soy products I use frequently (soy milk mostly) IS organic but that’s the only regular thing I buy because I’ve hear organic soy is much safer than non-organic. Occasionally fruit/veggies if I can get a good deal, but they are often double the price here- which is a shame because the organic tend to be local grown and I’d rather support the local economy, but cost is a major consideration. Oh, my muesli happens to be organic actually!
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 am
Great post, Heather. I try to stick to the dirty dozen wtih organic produce but I don’t always manage it because of cost and availability. Meat and dairy is the same…I try to do organic whenever we eat red meat and pork (not really sure why that seems more important than chicken or fish to me…one of those things I just do!). If I had the budget I would love to go all Kate Gosselin and buy everything organic, but it really is pricey, especialy in the UK where much of the produce has to be imported.
One thing I’m not sure if you’ve tried but I’ve done it a few times is a CSA/produce delivery scheme. I might look into it again now that it is summer and there is more variety in produce. It’s all organic AND local, and convenient, so that is really cool!
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for posting all this info! I’m reading What to Eat by Marion Nestle right now and it’s gotten me thinking about a lot of this. Probably 25% of my groceries are organic – but that’s a really rough estimate. Sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on what store I go to. And keeping a list of the dirty dozen is a great idea… I’m mostly guilty of buying non-organic strawberries, since I go through so many cartons during the summer that it’s really hard for me to spend that extra dollar or two! Eek.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I ALWAYS do organic meat. I also do all organic “packaged” things such as cereal, crackers, etc. due to my HFCS allergy. I WISH I could do organic produce but at our Whole Foods it is a ripoff!!! …sigh, maybe once I’m Dr. Jess!
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
To be honest, whether or not a product is organic is never really much of a factor for me. Price is more important. I’ll usually only buy organic produce if it’s the same price as the regular stuff. I do buy a lot of organic packaged goods, but that’s mostly because they have the best ingredients compared to the regular stuff. I would lovelovelove to buy only organic meat and dairy, but sometimes the price is double and there’s no way I can swing that.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:05 pm
great info! i like to buy organic produce when i can, especially the fruits and veggies you listed… i never buy organic bananas, oranges, or anything else that I peel before eating though, because the part you eat was protected!
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Buying organic is important to me, as it’s better for myself and the environment, but sometimes I don’t always have enough money!
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Local is more important to me than organic. Farmers markets and CSA’s are the way to go. The USDA Organic seal is basically a marketing tool that companies must pay $$$ to get. There are many small, family farms that use sustainable practices and no pesticides but can’t afford to pay for the Organic certification therefore can’t claim their products are organic. These are the products I mainly purchase. I would much rather support my local small farmer than pay big bucks for food that is organically grown in South America or China (where much of the organic food sold in the US is from) and shipped half way around the world. I am lucky to live in an area with lots of farmers markets where I can get dairy, eggs, grass-fed meats, and produce that don’t contain pesticides. If I did not I would at least buy organic dairy, eggs, and the “dirty dozen” fruits and veggies.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Lara: That is such a good point! I know the process is cumbersome and expensive!
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Local and sustainable is more important to me than organic. (I’m vegan, so I meat and dairy are never on my shopping list.) Organic practices can often conflict with sustainability goals.
I try to buy organic, natural body products. I don’t use much/spend much money on makeup, so I allow myself to splurge a little on cleansers, moisturizers, shampoo + conditioner.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I’m horrible about this. Organics are so…expensive. And not even that – I’d love the time to go hit up a farmer’s market each week and get fresh produce, but I’m lucky if I get to the grocery store! I don’t use much makeup or product, but I do use regular deodorant because I’ve never found anything else that worked.
I guess we can just do what we can, and strive to be a little better next time…
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Great write up! I completely agree with it ALL!
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I’m a mixed bag on the organic front. I don’t buy much organic produce b/c of the quality usually, not just the price. I have trouble finding consistently good organic produce at my Fred Meyer
I buy a lot of stuff from the “natural” section at Freddy’s (Silk creamer, eggs, flax, supplements, bars, snacks, PB, bulk, etc.), and lots of it turns out to be organic. On body care products–I like organic/natural products, but I’m also worried about aging and tend to buy non-organic anti-aging items. Most of them have sunscreen like you mention above, and probably some pretty nasty chemicals I don’t want to know about.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Thanks for all the info! I try to buy organic produce with thin skins (the dirty dozen). But sometimes when I’m at Mejier, I’ll just buy the regular apples. I don’t use organic body products, or toothpaste/mouthwash. A lot of the non-produce foods I like happen to be organic (Annie’s Naturals, Amy’s brand).
I like to buy organic, but it does get expensive. I mainly just worry about those dirty dozen produce items.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Honestly right now I never really pay attention to organic anything. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that I’m not the primary grocery buyer (hello Mom) nor am I the one forking out the cash for the foods we eat. Therefore we typically buy the standard produce aka don’t go for the pricier organic. At some point in my life, perhaps once I’m out and living on my own, organic may be of bigger concern to me and I’ll budget my groceries in order to buy some organic produce (probably focusing more on the dirtiest pieces) but right now we don’t really TRY to buy organic for the most part.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I try to eat organic whenever possible, but it isn’t always cost efficient. I always buy organic greens (lettuce, spinach, kale) and apples, since those are the ones I consume the most. I buy a lot of local produce and while it may not be certified organic, I know that it’s grown without pesticides. The dilemma of buying local vs. buying organic is a big one, because I would rather support a local farmer and knowing that my food came from miles down the road versus buying organic and traveled thousands of miles, but that’s just for me. As far as body care goes, it doesn’t have to be 100% organic but I am phasing out all the chemicals in my life – paraben-free being my #1 step.
I’m really excited for your Clean Living challenge! Can we join along at home? Ha.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Sigh. I wish I could afford EVERYthing in organic…but to echo many others, it is toooo expensive. I try to do what I can, and thank you so much for the list!
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
You have no idea what I thought your post title said! LOL!
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Organic produce is pretty much not in the budget right now, but I do think that some produce should be organic if you can (especially the ones that you eat the skin of!).
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Thanks for the info! I hardly buy anything organic. Just a few things that I might pick up at TJs or WH that happen to be organic.
~Justine
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Such an interesting question of principle v. practice! In principle, i of course love the idea of buying organic- but of course in practice ($$$), I do not. I agree with Emily above, about products that I’m eating the whole thing- but with say, bananas, i say they come in their own protective coating
I DO buy Organic milk and dairy- primarily b/c of hormone/skin relationship. TJ’s does a superb job of keeping organic goods fairly low cost…but i def choose non-organic 99% of the time. Never even thought about body products! Oh Heather…can you just let me live my life in ignorant bliss already ;D
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I buy organic if the price is right AND it’s of good quality. I’ve seen alot of organic produce that is not in good shape, and I am not spending all that money on something that is going to go bad in a day. In a perfect world, sure, I would buy more organic products, but until the prices come down, it just does not fit into my budget.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I almost always buy organic varieties of the dirty dozen. For things like bananas, oranges, and avocados, I am more likely to buy conventional due to their thick skins. I also take location into consideration. I like to buy organic, but not if it travelled from Venezuela.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:59 am
my idea to share u for organic products marketing from India.My
Voice awareness centre work for same. if u can spend funds to organic concept, pl e-mail me.
dr.dave
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I want to live under a rock!!
June 4th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Great post! This is exactly the kind of thing that is SO top of mind for me right now, and I’ve been writing about it for the past week or so. I’m trying to gradually upgrade everything I put in/on my body. Actually your Worst, Better, Best post triggered me to try a natural mouthwash rather than replace what I’d been using! I do try to always buy the dirty doze as organic, but I will admit to letting more slip through the cracks than I should!
June 4th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
[...] My Organic Importance Post [...]
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