Do you think organic food is good? That is a Lie, Don't be fooled!
Just like other commercial products, in order to obtain high
profits, food and beverage companies have followed the trend and launched
products with the "organic" concept as the main product. In the past
few decades, people's demand for organic food has shown an explosive trend, and
supermarket shelves are also full of various organic foods. If you want to be
recognized as pure organic food, the product must be grown and processed in
accordance with USDA guidelines.
Just like other commercial products, in order to obtain high
profits, food and beverage companies have followed the trend and launched
products with the "organic" concept as the main product. In the past
few decades, people's demand for organic food has shown an explosive trend, and
supermarket shelves are also full of various organic foods.
Since the 1990s, the sales of organic food have doubled every year. In 2016, this figure reached nearly 47 billion US dollars!
Today,
according to the data provided by the Organic Food Trade Association (OTA), organic
food sales in the United States account for five percent of the total.
People's admiration for organic products can be traced back to the 1940s, while the full-scale prosperity of the organic concept began in the 1970s.
In 1992, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
organized the first National Organic Standards Conference and promoted the
introduction of relevant management rules for the organic concept.
What does the word "organic" mean for food?
If you want to be recognized as organic food, the product
must be grown and processed in accordance with USDA guidelines.
Agricultural products that meet the organic certification
must be planted in soil that does not contain any prohibited substances three
years before harvest. These prohibited substances include synthetic
fertilizers.
Animals that provide organic meat products must be fed pure organic feed in places that allow them to grow in the wild. Antibiotics and hormones are never allowed to be injected.
For processed foods, artificial preservatives, colors and flavorings are absolutely not allowed to be added.
And the organic ingredients of these foods must exceed the proportion of
ingredients, just like soda to bread or lactic acid bacteria to yogurt.
If the bagged food says "this product is made of organic
ingredients", it must meet at least 70% of the ingredients that meet the
organic certification. Although such products do not have the USDA organic
certification mark, their production process still needs to follow USDA's
guidelines.
USDA claims that if a certain food has passed the USDA
organic certification, it proves that the food is organic throughout the entire
process from production and processing to sales.
Dr. Dubost, a registered nutritionist from Philadelphia, does
not recommend replacing traditional agriculturally grown foods with organic
foods.
She wrote in an email to AccuWeather, "There is no
scientific theory that points out the nutritional value or safety of organic
foods that are different from traditional agricultural products."
The public generally believes that the cultivation methods used
by the organic industry are safer and more reliable than traditional
agriculture, but Dr. Dubost also pointed out that there is no scientific basis
to support this argument.
The Mayo Clinic in the United States emphasized that research
based on this argument has yielded very limited results in terms of health
benefits.
Another voice comes from supporters of organic agriculture, who claim that the potential benefits of organic food include a slight increase in nutrient content, especially the increase in flavonoids. Flavonoids have antioxidant properties.
Organic Meat
Organic meat products contain a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids.
However, the bacterial contamination risks faced by
organic products and traditional agricultural products are exactly the same.
Generally speaking, organic food is more expensive, which
also encourages consumers to make more economic choices due to price factors.
Dr. Dubost believes that increasing spending on organic food
will not benefit consumers in terms of nutritional benefits and food safety.
She also pointed out that "consumers buy organic food more for peace of
mind, or because organic food is a consumer trend, not for its nutritional
value, quality or food safety."
Looking at the present, millennials have promoted the development of organic concepts and brought organic supermarkets to the society.
OTA data shows that young parents between the ages of 18 and 34 are the main force in the consumption of organic products in the United States.
At the same time,
OTA's research findings indicate that organic agriculture promotes economic
growth and contributes to poverty eradication. Organic agriculture should be
used as a powerful means to stimulate rural economic development.
Author's Bio
Education: MBBS, MD
Occupation: Medical Doctor
Specialization: Community Medicine, General Surgery, Natural Treatment
Experience: 18 Years as a Medical Practitioner
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