Jami Nelson always tried to eat healthy and take good care of her body, so she was stunned to learn she had breast cancer at the age of 25.
Her cancer now in remission, the 26-year-old nurse is much more careful about what she eats. Nelson said she chooses only organic milk and meat despite their higher cost because of the way they are produced, without antibiotics and added hormones.
Organics give her peace of mind, and Nelson is willing to pay more to get it. But some experts say that's all she'll get — that there's nothing healthier or better about organic food.
Alex Avery, director of research and education for the Hudson Institute‘s Center for Global Food Issues and author of “The Truth About Organics,†said there are several misconceptions about organic food that make people believe it is healthier and better for the environment.
‘’It’s a total con,†said Avery, a plant scientist by training. "There is not a shred of science" to back up claims that organic is safer or more nutritious, he said.
To display the “USDA Organic†seal, a product must be produced and processed according to USDA standards, and at least 95 percent of its ingredients must be organically produced. That means growers can’t use most conventional chemical pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. Animals must be fed organic feed, cannot be given antibiotics or growth hormones and must have access to the outdoors. Genetic engineering and ionizing radiation also are prohibited.
But standards for labeling organically-produced agricultural products don't address food safety or nutrition, just how the food is grown.
Organic food is more likely to carry pathogenic bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, because of the type of fertilizer that organic farmers use, Avery said. He also said that some of the natural pesticides used in organic farming are quite toxic.For example,
organic farmers are allowed to treat fungal diseases with copper solutions and remain within guidelines. Copper, which is toxic, is the 18th most used pesticide in the U.S. and stays in the soil forever, unlike modern biodegradable pesticides.
Avery singles out organic milk in particular as being no better, saying labs have not found “one detectable difference whatsoever.†Despite this, he said, his wife is the only woman in her circle of mothers with young children who serves her kids conventional milk.
Avery said that not only isn't organic always healthier for consumers, its perception of being friendlier for the environment isn’t always true, too.
Although many organic crops require less energy in terms of fertilizer in production, conventional farms can produce more food and use less energy.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432724,00.html
