Are You Into Organic Food?
Are You Into Organic Food?
I recently have been re-evaluating my eating regim and am making an effort to eat many many more vegetables, and go more organic. It’s sometimes difficult to weed out the “self-labeled” organic foods from the “real” organic foods and this is something I concentrate on because not only are the “real” organic foods truly healthier for you, but most organic foods are more expensive and I want to make sure I’m getting what I pay for!
What is organic food? Organic food is any food that is produced without the use of artificial pest control, fertilization, or drugs. But in order to be certified by the government as “organic,” the food must be produced under very stringent guidelines and rules. It must meet certain set standards. Basically, just because your neighbor doesn’t use pesticides on his tomato plants, doesn’t make the tomatoes organic.
For fruits and vegetables to be certified as organic, they must be grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizer, or sewage sludge. The food must have been processed without the use of any kind of food additives or preservatives. Meat that is deemed organic must come from animals that have been raised without the use of growth hormones or antibiotics that are very widely used in the production of all meat-producing animals including beef, poultry, pork, lamb, etc. The animals must have been fed a diet that consists of nothing but organic feed.
So, that’s the key word – certified. These days, many big retailers are trying to get their cut of the rapidly growing organic food market and even giants like Wal-Mart are not marketing “organic” foods, they are marketing “certified organic”. This is how you (and I) can be sure that the food that you are buying really is completely organic.
Now, there’s no law against selling food deemed “organic,” but in order to be deemed “certified organic”, the farm or ranch on which the food was produced must have met rigorous standards and been certified as an organic producer. The rules and regulations are strict, and getting that designation is not easy by any means.
Something also to note… Food that is marked “organic” can be imported from other countries that do not have the same standards as those of the United States. The term buyer beware would definitely apply to this organic food market.
The Right Foods Can Make You Look Young Again => Eat and Look Good!
Great article Brenda. We have a couple of local farms in the area that sell certified organic food right from their farm. It’s pretty limited right now on what’s available but one of them seems to be growing nicely – sorry about the pun
My wife and I are convinced that it’s the growth hormones going into our livestock that has our children developing so young and looking like adults as they enter high school in a lot of cases.
You mentioned ’sewage sludge’ as being used for growing food. That term alone should wake a lot of us up – yuck!
Brian D. Hawkins@Nasolabial Folds´s last blog ..Looking Older because of Nasolabial Folds?
You got that right Brian…”sewage sludge” was definitely a term that got my attention! I’m really starting to “study” what I’m cooking!
Brenda´s last blog ..Are You Into Organic Food?
I have to say Brian I don’t think you’re far wrong there. The practice of pumping livestock full of bovine growth hormones is just crazy. It’s just not right.
I do try to eat organic foods, unfortunately there are no farms selling organic produce near us, but it is available at the local supermarket. Although frankly I’m not convinced half of it even is organic.
Linda@Slimming´s last blog ..Proactol Review
ha wow i had no idea that they stuffed live stock with anything. thats insane. why wait the time lets just eat old fashion meat like its meant. the problem is it would be hard to know for sure if your eating meat without artificial additives.
grey @ ballet tutu´s last blog ..Green Tutu vs Black Tutu
Wasn’t the government supposed to be working on this? I thought the FDA or some agency was going to pass some laws about whether or not companies could label things “organic”
great information thank you
Organic foods are really very beneficial for your health. You must eat only organic food if you wanna stay healthy.
Really wonderful information on organic foo. We try to eat organics but it tends to cut into our budget. Thanks for the info.
Jill@Ivermectin For dogs´s last blog ..What You Need to Know about Ivermectin for Dogs
Thanks for the great page – I had fun reading it! I always love your blog.
Thanks for sharing. Its important people are educated on the nature of organics.
You’re welcome! Thanks for visiting.
I try to eat organic foods as often as possible. But they tend to get expensive. Thanks for the post.
Angie@Foam Wedge Pillow´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
I agree Angie…trying to eat completely organic foods can get quite expensive… but in the long run probably worth it. Thanks for stopping by.
These methods are more time consuming and often more expensive than just spraying crops down so it tends to add some to the price. Also there are far fewer organic farmers than there are chemical using farms so there is often a longer transit time to account for which adds to the price.
The difference is that organic producers are taking care of their land and working it to get the last possible perfect strawberry possible. They’re not using mass-produced pesticides and fertilizers that upset the natural balance of flora and fauna. As a result, they aren’t poisoning the land they grow food on.