Organically Grown Food No Healthier Than Normally Grown Food.

Do some of you concur with this?

There has been a report out that says foods like produce, veggies, fruit and meat that is grown organically are no healtier than than orrdinarily grown foods.

That this theory is just a ripoff. True, organically grown food costs more than the regularly grown food. But does the cost verify that you might be benefiting your health more by switching to organically grown foods or "free-range meats"?

Expert are saying that you are in no more of a healthy status with OG food, and that all that talk about OG food being better for you is just plain poppycock. What do some of you think?

I, myself, don't believe it and have alway bought and will continue to buy
regular produce, fruits and veggies. Let the ones who choose to buy OG foods continue to do so. I'm on a fixed income and I'm not going to pay more for food than I have to. The neighborhood supermarket is high enough. Why would I want to go to Whole Foods and shop there instead?

Your thoughts and views, please.

Sherman said:

Do some of you concur with this?

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I don't know. Does anyone? Sometimes I buy from the organic shelves because the food looks better and fresher. Other than that I save my money.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/organic-food-better

I don't know if I think that it is so much the healthyness of the food grown organically vs whatever the other way is. My concern is the long term effects of pesticides and genetic fooling with.

P. S. I don't buy a lot of organic food due to the money factor.

Ditto what Buzz said. I like to buy romaine hearts and they are often only offered OG where I shop.
It's my knowledge from talking to some farmers, that any sprays used to fertilize or control pests are stopped far enough in front of harvest to dissipate. So personally I don't buy into the healthier for you debate. I do think OG your own produce would be a neat hobby though. Just to say you did it.

I love Horizon's organic whole milk.
There are some fruits and vegs that I've bought from the organic section-used to be big on the whole organic vegetarian thing, but times have changed with the changing times.

Funny you should say that Sass. I was in a grocery store (Getting a flu shot - LOL) and I checked out and the lady ahead of me was buying organic milk. We started talking and she said the organic milk lasts longer and she travels a lot.

It does seem to last longer, at least that particular brand does.
I use it in mashed potatoes, cereal and even to cream my coffee.
Good stuff!

Well that has my interest peaked. I'm all for foods that last a while.

It does last longer, in my experience.

As far as OG foods - I have trouble with this because I am a total skeptic. How do I know they are actually organic? For example, the FDA doesn't inspect every farm and plant regularly. (Heck, sometimes not at all!) And since just having the OC label brings a much higher price, I am sure that is tempting to the less than scrupulous.

BUT, if I can buy foods produced by local farmers that I know to be organic, then I do believe it is healthier food. The lack of pesticides and growth hormones and antibiotics must be better for you.

What kills me are things- like for example, cereals we've eaten for years all the sudden having an Organic label.
Cheerios are the same whether they carry the O or not.
Why pay $2 more per box?
It's goofy.

I buy my meats organically grown only because it is really better than what I can get in the best of meat markets that I've seen locally. But then I buy from a local farmer that butcher a couple of times a year. They even grow their own crops for feed but only sell in sides so I buy a side of beef plus special cuts like whole briskets and a whole pig yearly. They also age their meats properly and this I've seen as I actually get an email when the meat is ready to pickup and we go. Oh and best of all their prices are in line with other stores in the area for meats but much better quality.

As for produce most I get at either Miejer's or Kroger's though I have no idea nor care if it is organic. Can goods I will buy anywhere as long as they are brands I like.

As far as healthier I have no idea if it makes a difference at all. It really doesn't matter to me either way, what I buy because it tastes good especially meats.

joec said:

I buy my meats organically grown only because it is really better than what I can get in the best of meat markets that I've seen locally. But then I buy from a local farmer that butcher a couple of times a year. They even grow their own crops for feed but only sell in sides so I buy a side of beef plus special cuts like whole briskets and a whole pig yearly. They also age their meats properly and this I've seen as I actually get an email when the meat is ready to pickup and we go. Oh and best of all their prices are in line with other stores in the area for meats but much better quality.

As for produce most I get at either Miejer's or Kroger's though I have no idea nor care if it is organic. Can goods I will buy anywhere as long as they are brands I like.

As far as healthier I have no idea if it makes a difference at all. It really doesn't matter to me either way, what I buy because it tastes good especially meats.

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The Thanksgiving turkey we have every year is an organic bird, my family know the people who own the farm... how Tom and his brothers and sisters are fed.. so..
It's a small farm and they've been raising turkeys for years.

It does make a difference when you know the growers and their methods. If it wasn't that I stumbled over the ones here I would be buying from the food stores like everyone else.

I've been gardening organically for a long time - there is a fair amount of debate as to whether "organically" grown crops are "more nutritious" is one or more aspects.

my conviction to go organic was simple: one day I walked out to the garden and my kids - the oldest was 7 at the time - were picking and eating right off the plants. it occurred to me "Dang good thing I didn't just blast that crop with 'Pesticide X'!"

on the home garden / small scale, organic gardeners tend to be more concerned with "good soil" - organic sources of plant nutrients tend to break down slower, potentially better sources of "trace elements," leach away less quick, the soil has good 'tilth' - which holds moisture better, more even moisture to the crop creates less 'stress' on the plants which can make them less susceptible to pests and disease. not all pests and diseases - my heirloom tomatoes took it in the shorts this year with "the wilt". . . . cool, wet, rainy summer - ideal conditions for fungus / bacterial "infections."

in addition to minimal or no use of "chemical" fertilizers - which are by intent designed to release quickly, etc. - there is the question on the use of "chemical pesticides." in that regard, "organic" is a whole lot more about what is _not_ on the food crop than what _is_ on the food crop.

I grow broccoli - I use floating row covers to keep the cabbage moths/worms out of the crop. it is not a 100% solution. I still need to break the florets, rinse in salt water to ensure no worm surprises at the time.... I could saturate the broccoli head with pesticides and kill every bug on the plants & surrounds, frankly, I'd rather rinse in salt water.

the "kill everything" approach, although effective, overlooks the fact that there are _good_ bugs in the garden. aphids got to my peas this year - within a week the pea vines were covered with lady bugs. the lady bugs cleaned the aphids off the peas, and just for good measure, munched all the aphids off the rose bushes, too.

I am the first to admit, "growing large scale" organically (good soil husbandry + lack of pesticides) is really tricky business. it's not all that difficult to "improve" the soil in a couple hundred square feet of a home garden. "improving the soil" on hundreds of acres - needed for a big time commercial operation - is a pretty tall challenge.

add into this whole discussion: state / federal definition of "organic" - permitted use "compounds" (I'm carefully avoiding the 'chemical' moniker because for example "insecticidal soap" - which is just that - soap - you can wash your dishes in it.... _is_ at its basis a "chemical"...)

old time organic gardeners and 'purists' are aghast at the "approved" list(s) of stuff that can be used and still have "certified organic crops" - but that is a whole 'nother can of worms.

the whole "organic is better" thing is an issue that requires a lot of definitions before one can even begin a meaningful 'debate.' _if_ an organic vegetable can be proven "more nutritious" I suspect it is due more to good cultivation of the crop than 'non-organic fertilizer' -

and 'organic tastes better' - phew! there's no accounting for taste, but a locally grown - probably fresher - more apt to be 'vine / field ripened' vegetable is quite likely to taste better than something trucked in from 3000 miles away - spending 2-3 weeks enroute before it gets to your pot. I get asparagus from Peru - it has zilch for taste compared to what I pick up at my local roadside stand - but the local stuff is only briefly 'in season' - and I eat rather a lot more "year round"

This product may not be organically grown, but I used to buy soy milk. It tastes good, but dag, like OG food, it also is atrociously and astronomically expensive!! A 1/2 gallon of it costs almost TWICE the amount of a gallon of 1% milk!

Like OG food, it's supposed to be better for you healthwise. However, I DID buy a free-range chicken once or twice. No difference in taste though.

I think it depends on the farmer as much. I have tasted so extremely good organic stuff and some garbage. I prefer local grower and traditional stuff. I guess my personal preference is for the slow food, stuff that is given time to mature properly instead of rushed to ripening or to bulk up for early slaughter. It whats goes in that makes the good flavours not the method so much.

I was under the impression that it just isn't what a particular animal eats, that to be called "organic", there must be no chemicals on the entire property. We had this discussion on a chicken board a long time ago. For instance, I could not call my chickens' eggs organic because I use fertilzer and whatnot on other areas of my property... areas they don't see, but technically, I cannot call their eggs organic because of this.

Over here you have to be certified by the Soil Association - you cannot sell it as organic without their sayso

Sherman said:

This product may not be organically grown, but I used to buy soy milk. It tastes good, but dag, like OG food, it also is atrociously and astronomically expensive. A 1/2 gallon of it costs almost TWICE the amount of a gallon of 1% milk!

Like OG food, it's supposed to be better for you healthwise. However, I DID buy a free-range chicken once or twice. No difference in taste though.

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The free range chickens I get not only taste different but the meat is real white, leaner and smaller. They actually look like chicken wings and not turkey wings. I have had buffalo wings twice this month which is 2 times more than all the chicken I've eaten in the last 30 years or so. Oh and my wife will eat regular chicken which I've tasted to compare. They don't even smell the same.

I'm with you though on local grown vegetables in that Meijer's sells a lot of locally grown as does Whole Foods here. My only problem with Kroger's is those damned labels on every vegetable. I don't mind the labels on the outside of banana or melon but don't put them on something like cucumbers where I might eat the skin.

I hate that too, Joe. I get tomatoes like that. What a PITA.

Yeah, they're supposed to be grown with more naturally organic food than with cereal or other fillers.

I don't think the farm store in which we've gotten our turkeys use chemicals Fred.
They even use the milk from their animals to make cheeses too.
Admittedly, the birds can get a bit pricey, but like Joe related.. I can tell a difference in them and the turkey we've had before from the supermarket.
They even smell different in the raw state.
http://www.cjgrassfed.com/

http://www.cjgrassfed.com/about.html

PS- It's my brother's turn to buy the bird this year lol

chowhound said:

I hate that too, Joe. I get tomatoes like that. What a PITA.

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I just won't buy them if they have stickers on them. I would rather eat one from Mexico than buy one locally grown with a sticker.

How ironic would that be, a piece of fruit with a label glued to it saying it was organically grown?

I won't go out of my way to but OG food of any kind..

Penn & Teller did a show on this subject and came to the conclusion that there were no differences except in price. They even had a scientist on it....lol

you can find the episode online somewhere...show is called Penn & Teller Bull$hit..