Organic Foods: Worth The Cost?

The%20USDA%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20officially%20offer%20any%20opinion%20about%20whether%20organic%20food%20is%20safer%20or%20more%20nutritious%20than%20non-organic%20food.%20It%20only%20says%20that%20organic%20standards%20have%20been%20met.%20This%20includes%20the%20companies%20that%20handle%20or%20process%20the%20foods%20before%20they%20get%20to%20the%20supermarket.%20That%20said%2C%20organic%20foods%20have%20lower%20levels%20of%20artificial%20pesticides%2C%20are%20not%20genetically%20modified%2C%20don%E2%80%99t%20have%20artificial%20hormones%2C%20and%20reduce%20your%20exposure%20to%20antibiotics.

A%20standard%20that%20defines%20what%20qualifies%20as%20organic%20was%20established%20by%20the%20Organic%20Foods%20Production%20Act%20in%201990%2C%20because%20there%20was%20a%20lot%20of%20confusion.%20It%20means%20food%20with%20no%20artificial%20fertilizers%20%28the%20ones%20made%20with%20sewage%20sludge%29%2C%20genetic%20modification%2C%20irradiation%20%28a%20process%20that%20reduces%20spoilage%20and%20kills%20bacteria%20and%20pests%29%2C%20or%20conventional%20pesticides.%20Livestock%20raised%20organically%20must%20be%20fed%20organic%20feed%2C%20can%E2%80%99t%20be%20given%20antibiotics%20or%20growth%20hormones%2C%20and%20have%20access%20to%20the%20outdoors%2C%20according%20to%20the%20United%20States%20Department%20of%20Agriculture%20%28USDA%29.

Eating%20organic%20foods%20can%20reduce%20the%20amount%20of%20pesticides%20and%20chemicals%20that%20non-organic%20foods%20may%20get%20into%20your%20body.%20You%20are%20also%20reducing%20your%20exposure%20to%20antibiotics%2C%20genetically%20modified%20crops%2C%20hormones%2C%20and%20irradiated%20foods.%20Still%2C%20the%20long-term%20health%20effects%20aren%E2%80%99t%20clear.

Organic%20fruits%20and%20vegetables%20can%20cost%20up%20to%20about%2030%20percent%20more%20than%20regular%20produce.%20One%20reason%20is%20that%20organic%20farms%20are%20usually%20smaller%20than%20conventional%20farms%2C%20yielding%20less%20even%20as%20demand%20for%20their%20crops%20is%20high.%20Controlling%20pests%20and%20weeds%20without%20using%20artificial%20pesticides%20is%20more%20labor-intensive%2C%20harder%2C%20and%20more%20expensive%20than%20using%20most%20pesticides.%20Also%2C%20organic%20feed%20for%20livestock%20is%20more%20expensive.

Natural%20foods%20are%20different%20from%20organic%20foods.%20Only%20products%20inspected%20and%20certified%20by%20the%20USDA%20can%20have%20a%20label%20that%20says%20organic.%20Natural%20foods%20can%E2%80%99t%20contain%20any%20additives%2C%20such%20as%20preservatives%20or%20artificial%20coloring.