Organic food, genetically engineered food – what to eat?

Once upon a time, people ate “food.” Then people discovered dangerous pesticides and started some highly questionable farming practices, and somehow the word “food” stuck with anything that could be marketed as allegedly edible and “organic food” became the new term for the only kind of food our ancestors knew.

But what is organic? What exactly does it mean for your diet? For the planet? Can you simply buy organic and rest assured you’re doing the best thing for yourself and the environment?

Short answer: pretty much so, yeah. Organic is always a better option than non-organic, but it doesn’t solve every problem. And not every type of food is available in organic forms – especially in regions without a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s nearby. Here are some tips for making the best food choices you can, given the options you have.

What is organic?

First of all, it’s important to understand what the organic label does and doesn’t mean:

Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.

This covers most of the issues in food production that we should be concerned about. It does not necessarily mean the food producer has used the greenest farming and packing methods available, though this is often the case. It also does not mean that every ingredient in, say, an organic cracker is organic. In the US and Australia, for example, only 95% of the ingredients need be organic to earn the label. “Organic” does not mean the same as “100% Organic”:

The USDA has identified for three categories of labeling organic products:

100% Organic: Made with 100% organic ingredients

Organic: Made with at least 95% organic ingredients

Made With Organic Ingredients: Made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMOs (genetically modified organisms)

Products with less than 70% organic ingredients may list organically produced ingredients on the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the front of the package.

Additionally, organic does not mean the food is low fat, low carb, low sugar or low calorie, or higher in nutrition. It just means the food has been exposed to less harmful toxins than other foods and will therefore expose you to less toxins. Not all organic food is “health food.” It will not help you lose or gain weight, or eliminate the need to follow a doctor-advised diet for diabetes, high blood pressure or any other health concern.

Nor does organic mean it’s free of allergens – people can be allergic or sensitive to pretty much any food (sweet potatoes are supposed to be 100% safe for food allergy sufferers, but I bloat up like a balloon every time I eat them), including foods which are nutritious and good for everyone else. The good news is, some organic producers are more conscientious about labeling their foods so allergy sufferers can avoid their kryptonites.

Unfortunately, not everyone is in favor of consumers being allowed to know what’s organic and what’s not, and make informed choices. Corporate dairy farmers who refuse to stop using hormones known to harm cows (and possibly humans) have pushed several states to force organic producers to put a statement on their hormone-free products saying that hormone-free products have not been shown to be better than ones that use hormones. This is ludicrous, but California has fallen for it and no doubt other states have or will as well. The burden should be on the hormone dairy producers to label their products with that statement, not the other way around. For a hurried but conscientious label reader like me, it was a confusing statement. I’m used to seeing labels like that on the foods alleged to do harm, not the ones alleged to avoid it.

Don’t be confused by these tricks. Expect more of them. Corporate farming took over the US in the last few decades, and they’re not going to yield to safer, greener, healthier practices while there’s still a dime of profit to be had.

Why not genetically engineered?

It’s pretty obvious why we’d want to avoid chemical pesticides, sewage sludge, and antibiotic-fed livestock – all of those things are known to be potential contaminants to the environment and/or our bodies. But what’s wrong with genetically engineered food? People have been breeding and cross-breeding plants for centuries, right?

Not like this. Modern genetic engineering goes much further than breeding bigger and bigger tomatoes:

Traditional breeders have never been capable of crossing fish genes with strawberries. But genetically engineered “fishberries” are already in the field. With genetic engineering, these types of new organisms can be created and released into the environment.

Will they harm the environment? We don’t know. They might not (though it seems unlikely they’re completely safe, see the paragraph on allergens below). But there aren’t enough restrictions in place to give us a chance to find out before much damage is done. If they are dangerous, it’s a lesson we’ll learn the hard way – possibly very hard. Most GE crops have been engineered to withstand dangerous pesticides – isn’t it better to just farm without pesticides? Of course! But it’s not as profitable.

But won’t the government take care of us and make sure this doesn’t hurt us? If only:

Neither the FDA4, the Department of Agriculture (USDA)5, nor the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)6 has done any long-term human health or environmental impact studies of GE foods or crops, nor has any mandatory regulation specific to GE food been established. Biotech companies are on the honor system. They have virtually no requirements to show that this new technology is safe. FDA scientists and doctors warned that GE foods could have new and different risks such as hidden allergens, increased plant-toxin levels and the potential to hasten the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease. The USDA has reviewed more than 5,000 applications for experimental GE crop field trials without denying a single one. USDA officials claimed they would conduct long-term studies of GE crops, but have no plans to require any pre-market or pre-release assessment. Studies conducted after our environment and food supply have been contaminated will be too late.

The allergen concern is very real. For example, soy proteins are very popular in cross-breeding, which means people with (sometimes lethal) soy allergies or sensitivities are finding it more and more difficult to avoid soy because genetically engineered food doesn’t have to spell out its genes. And the spread of antibiotic resistant disease is a great concern. We’re already seeing the repercussions of these problems as virus mutate to get past every antibiotic we put on the market. Why risk making it worse?

TrueFoodNow has a page listing many widely available brands that do or do not contain genetically engineered ingredients. The fact that they don’t contain GE ingredients does not mean they are organic. But if you can’t find organic crackers in your area, you may want to look for a brand on the TFN list (which, by the way, is not 100% complete, and they want your help updating it) so you know at least you’re avoiding GE foods.

All food at the farmer’s market is organic, right?

Absolutely not. Farmer’s markets are a great source of organic foods and produce, and in my experience most of their product is organic. But small farms can use pesticides and sludge just like the big boys, so if it’s not certified organic, you have to assume it’s not. All-natural does not mean organic. Hand-picked does not mean organic. Neither do pesticide-free or no antibiotics. Those mean the farmer is using some organic procedures, but not enough to get certified organic. This may be acceptable to you, especially if your only other option is to buy who-knows-what at the grocery store.

It’s amazing how much work is involved in getting hold of traditional food these days – the only kind of food our grandparents and great-grandparents knew. The organic label is a big help to you, even if it can’t possibly cover every issue that might concern you.

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