Is organic food a scam?

Looking to inform myself about Organic Food on Wikipedia, I came across this section:

According to the UK's Food Standards Agency, "Consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food. However, the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view."[33] A 12-month systematic review commissioned by the FSA in 2009 and conducted at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine based on 50 years' worth of collected evidence concluded that "there is no good evidence that consumption of organic food is beneficial to health in relation to nutrient content.

A recent review of nutrition claims showed that organic food proponents are unreliable information sources which harm consumers, and that consumers are wasting their money if they buy organic food believing that it contains better nutrients.[39]

Could someone help alleviate my ignorance regarding organic foods? Because I was under the assumption that most people bought organic food not to "protect the environment from pesticides" but rather to display a healthy lifestyle...?

yes it always has bugs in it to me

Does anyone notice healthy food cost's more then take away? organic may be better for the fact that your not adding poisons which they spray onto the food into your body, but overall its no more healthier then non organic.

reply to post by Skyfloating



this is not true at all. People are not going for organics because they are more nutritious but because they do not have the hazardous poisons chemicals and pesticides in their upbringing and people are trying to avoid putting untested products in their bodies. I read somewhere people who eat the most fruits and vegetables also have the highest rates of all kinds of cancers because the fruits and vegetables are sprayed and not washed well, not to mention what is absorbed through the skin.

I purchase nothing but organic food not because I think it is more nutritious, but it's supposed to be less covered with pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals like that. And I like my meat to be happier while it lives before I eat it.

I think even organic food is less nutritious than it was 100 years ago but that's only because of the unnatural farming practices such as adding nutrients to soil rather than letting it go fallow properly..

reply to post by camouflaged


Yes, the upside is that its produced without pesticides (critics say that the downside is that it takes up more space to produce organic foods, thus destroying ecosystems), but the majority of organic food eaters I know eat it with the assumption / idea that they are eating more healthy foods. Its pretty astonishing to me that evidence indicates otherwise...

Originally posted by newcovenant


this is not true at all. People are not going for organics because they are more nutritious

I am personally acquainted with many people who go for it because they say its more healthy. I guess they have fallen for false advertising?

reply to post by Skyfloating


Yeah you don't eat organic for nutrition,
You eat organic to protect yourself against deadly pesticides involved in the growth of regular foods

when it comes to food on a tight budget, non org is fine , if you have 5$ USD for 4 toms $1.50 for 2 ears of corn, 4.75 for a loaf of bread and then 3.50 for an 8oz tub of butter then go for it. too me it seems out the window of common sense it should be the other way around for stuff that is sprayed should be high priced, the organic should be next to nothing, you plant, you water, you pick, big deal watering is a lot of hard work, bend over turn vale on 30 min later tune vale of. bugs and weds are not a problem, they get along just fine.

reply to post by newcovenant

Organic food is more expensive than conventional food, due not only to its lower crop yields and more expensive organic fertilizers and pesticides in larger quantities, but mainly because it's such a big fad right now and is in such high demand.

And...

Organic pesticides include rotenone, which has been shown to cause the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and is a natural poison used in hunting by some native tribes; pyrethrum, which is carcinogenic; sabadilla, which is highly toxic to honeybees; and fermented urine, which I don't want on my food whether it causes any diseases or not.

Supporters of organics claim that the much larger amounts of chemicals they use is OK because those chemicals are all-natural. But just because something is natural doesn't mean that it's safe or healthy

But don't forget...

....just because something is natural doesn't mean that it's safe or healthy — consider the examples of hemlock, mercury, lead, toadstools, box jellyfish neurotoxin, asbestos — not to mention a nearly infinite number of toxic bacteria and viruses (E. coli, salmonella, bubonic plague, smallpox).

Case rested.

*

I remember taking a class in nutrition when I was in community college a few years ago and the teacher basically ripped organic foods to shreds. I had two great articles that I will try to dig up for you. My impression after taking the class and doing some independent research was that organic foods were a rip off and that to label something 'organic' didn't actually mean a damn thing. Give me a few and I'll see what I find.

The regulation of organic food is sketchy at best. It's better to know the source such as local grown rather than a company from somewhere else, at least you can validate it better. One thing I found that "Organic Salmon" is a definite lie. The regulation of organic food is sketchy at best. It's better to know the source such as local grown rather than a company from somewhere else, at least you can validate it better. One thing I found that "Organic Salmon" is a definite lie. (updated for confusion?)

Originally posted by camouflaged
Does anyone notice healthy food cost's more then take away? organic may be better for the fact that your not adding poisons which they spray onto the food into your body, but overall its no more healthier then non organic.

Healthy foods or foods that are not irradiated and genetically modified are a slap in the face to MONSANTO who is doing everything to control every aspect of the food supply. Soon you will not be able to grow your own home grown fruits and vegetables. Another reason people try to avoid non organics is because they don't want to support a company like Monsanto. They don't approve of genetically modifying a corn plant to produce its own pesticide. We are producing a variety of corn here in the USA that has so much pesticide in it the corn has to me monitored by both the EPA and the FDA.

If a NWO agenda was ever to be put forth I think they would start by altering the food supply or getting the food supply to alter us. I think maybe because there are so many questionable practices and poisons being used in the food supply.

reply to post by boncho


Also, Environmental impact is one of the biggest concern with organics:

All poisons used in pesticides are rated on a scale called EIQ, or Environmental Impact Quotient. They are tested for range of toxicity, or what it is they will harm or kill. Let's say the poison doesn't harm people in anything short of beer-chugging amounts; that might merit a 2. If an ounce of the stuff in a stretch of stream kills all the fish; give it a 10. The poisons are tested for how long they stay in the soil, in plants, if they kill bees, if they kill worms, etc.

Here are some interesting EIQs:
Bt (organic)
13.5
Acephate (synthetic)
17.9
Soap (organic)
19.5
Carbaryl (synthetic)
22.6
Malathion (synthetic)
23.2
Rotenone (organic)
33.0
Sabadilla (organic)
35.6

You can see that some organic poisons—and all of these are in use—have a higher Environmental Impact Quotient than some synthetics, notably the synthetic Carbaryl (Sevin), one of the most commonly used synthetic pesticides in the world.

1

reply to post by boncho



Not enough for me.
Naming a few hazardous chemicals that may be used in organic foods is nothing at all compared to....

Pesticides & Herbicides The pesticides and herbicides currently being used on many non-organic crops are exceptionally toxic to humans and can build up in the human body contributing significantly to disease. For example: The herbicide, glyphosphate (also known as Roundup from Monsanto) which is commonly-used on non-organic soy and other crops is extremely toxic and scientists have recently issued an urgent warning about its use. Chemical companies have used their influence with the FDA to increase the already high "acceptable levels" of glyphosphate in foods. Glufosinate (also known as Basta) is currently used in non-organic sugar beets and canola. It is also exceptionally toxic and is known to cause birth defects. Malathion is a pesticide that has been linked to numerous serious health effects.

Contaminated Sewage Sludge The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now encouraging contaminated sewage sludge ("biosolids") to be use as "fertilizer" to grow non-organic crops. When authors John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton decided on a catchy title for their excellent book, Toxic Sludge is Good For You, they where not aware of the heavy push to use this toxic sludge as a fertilizer on crops. When they discovered this fact they wrote a chapter in their book about it. The fact that the EPA is pushing this stuff in non-organic crops and not telling consumers represents a prime example of a government officials completely out of touch with reality. It is a very good reason to move to organic foods.

Hormones & Antibiotics Non-organic meats, eggs and dairy usually refer to the fact that the animals may have given fed antibiotics, hormones, ground up remains of other animals, and other dangerous substances that often end up in these foods fed to humans. The growing use of chemicals is a disaster for the health of the animals (other than fatting up the animal quickly for the slaughter). Regular ingestion of traces of these chemicals is a health disaster waiting to happen. For example, regular, long-term ingestion of non-organic dairy from cows injected with Monsanto's genetically-engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH) has recently been shown to be a high risk for prostrate and breast cancers. Constant ingestion of traces of antibiotics from dairy can be expected to damage the balance of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and create drug-resistant superbugs. Keep in mind that the "testing" for antibiotics in dairy has been shown by the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) to not prevent antibiotics-laced non-organic dairy foods from being sold. This is because only a small number of antibiotics are tested.

Irradiation Another source of contaminants is food irradiation. The food industry is keen on portraying the irradiation of food as safe, but the truth is that there is experimental evidence of dangers and testimony from independent experts of these dangers.

www.holisticmed.com...

It depends on the environment it is grown in. As has been said first it is bought because of the lack of chemical poisons and fertilizers. I would say this piece is more propaganda then anything. Organic food would tend to be more nutritious because organic farmers usually got into that type of farming because they were concerned with the food supply including lack of nutrition and tend to try and add what is missing from our trace mineral depleted soils from a century of strip farming. They are using compost and cover crops etc instead of oil based fertilizers.

What I worry about is as we see more and more organic labelled foods hit the regular super markets is if it just becomes another watered down label doesn't really reflect its original intent. That is why we research companies that sell organic labelled food in the super market before we just trust the organic label.

We also buy local as much as possible we just bought a local side of organic grass fed beef and doing it this way is actually cheaper or comparable to to buying super market tainted beef.

reply to post by Skyfloating


For the most part it is a scam. It makes consumers feel better about what they are buying, especially health-conscious people. It definitely targets women with children. It plays on fears.

The main line used is that organic food farmers do not use pesticides or GMOs. When you dig into the scientific research, however, there is no benefit either way. You pay for peace of mind. There have been many accidents in the past regarding pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc, but we don't use those harmful ones anymore. Some other countries still do however. There is a slim chance you run into one. If you do, it isn't going to affect you. The proof just isn't there.

We can look at milk. Growth hormones and antibiotics in feed do not significantly alter the diet. Only the quality of the feed can do that. Then there is pasteurization. Many people swear by organic milk, but pasteurization has a purpose. It is used to keep milk fresh. Want to talk conspiracy folks? There are pasteurization techniques out there that will sterilize milk 100% that can be stored for years, and still be safe to drink. That isn't good for the economy though I went to Japan, I saw more boxed milk than refrigerated. It is out there.

Sorry for the derailment. Next look into "omega 3" and farm raised chicken eggs claiming they are healthier. They just simply aren't.

I am not here to do a research article, so I am not going to give links. You can look into these subjects and more. Make sure to find references to peer-reviewed journals, and find out who funds the research.

Flat out, this is marketing. This is a way to charge people more for the same items. It is a scam. Look into the horror stories of whole foods too while you are it. Advertising at its worst.

PS~I can't say I have never fallen for the scam myself. It makes us feel better to buy expensive things. We think we get what we pay for, but we don't always do.

Edit~I just saw some responses. Irradiated meat will not cause cancer. It just wont. It wont cause any more cancer than cooking with "infrared" or charring/blackening the meat will.

Then there is fish. This is a big concern for some areas. Mercury is no joke. If it is local aka "fresh/organic" it could have very high levels of mercury. Industrial farmers will be required to check levels of these sorts of things. Organic farmers? Not so much.

First off people dont eat organic to gain nutrients, the do it to eat less off what is bad for you.
People eat fruits, vegetables, rice/pasta for nutrients. The problem in the test they discribed is they ate food off the shelf that said organic whatever but dont realize the FDA classifies an organic substance as having 13% or more ingredients that are organic in that product.
If you want to eat healthy, go on a diet... Eat FRESH EVERYTHING... vegetables, fruits, even meats...
Dont buy frozen!!!

Main point is what the Government Programs such as the FDA considers right is far from reality..... Just because the label says something doesnt make it true, due to the inhumane policies behind them

reply to post by newcovenant

Irradiation Another source of contaminants is food irradiation. The food industry is keen on portraying the irradiation of food as safe, but the truth is that there is experimental evidence of dangers and testimony from independent experts of these dangers.

 

I'll take the word of a UC Davis website, over holisticmed.com....

Myth: Activist groups who oppose food irradiation reflect public views and protect the public Interest.

Activist groups have their own agendas, and they differ in their reliance on science-based information. All groups, however rely on membership for fundraising. Some have demonstrated a tendency to identify and exaggerate "risks" and solicit funds in order to "protect the public interest", thus maintaining the financial solvency of the organization.

And...

Myth: Irradiation will make foods radioactive.

Irradiation does not change the radioactivity of food, nor does irradiation leaves any residues.

1

Originally posted by dreamingawake
The regulation of organic food is sketchy at best. It's better to know the source such as local grown rather than a company from somewhere else, at least you can validate it better. One thing I found that "Organic Salmon" is a definite lie.

I think it is a misnomer. The fish certainly is organic but whether is was raised without chemicals to be USDA certified as "organic" is something else. Of course anyone can call Salmon organic, doesn't mean it is a lie. All salmon is organic.