Contents
What Is Organic Food?
Organic vs. Nonorganic: Understanding the Issues
Organic Produce
Organic Grains
Organic Beans, Nuts, and Oils
Organic Dairy Products, Eggs, and Soy Products
Organic Meat
Organic Fish
Organic Processed Foods
Organic Coffee
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Organic Dairy Products, Eggs, and Soy Products
When deciding whether or not to buy organic dairy products, eggs, and soy products, consider the following.
Health Considerations
- Pesticide residues: Recent tests by the USDA have found only small amounts of pesticide residues in whole milk samples. Butter has been found to be more susceptible to residues. Organic butter contains fewer residues, but all butter is prone to picking up airborne pesticide residues present in many environments.
- Antibiotic residues: Although antibiotics are permitted for the treatment of cows with infected udders, the USDA tolerates no antibiotic residues in milk production. Any milk found to contain traces of these residues is immediately discarded, so most dairy farmers tend to monitor their use of antibiotics vigilantly and use them only sparingly.
- Growth hormones: Growth hormones such as BST have been administered to cows since the 1940s to increase milk production. In 1993, the FDA approved a synthetic version, rBST, for use. Milk from cows treated with hormones contains higher levels of a natural growth factor called IGF-1. Some experts link excess levels of it in humans to breast and prostate cancers, and the European Union has banned growth hormones altogether. However, dozens of studies have presented conflicting information about dangers posed to humans who consume milk from rBST-treated cows; no conclusive evidence has been presented on either side.
- Pathogens: Organic and nonorganic milk are equally prone to bacterial contamination often caused by infected udders. To eliminate the chance of consuming a contaminated product, always buy pasteurized milk.
- Feed additives: The FDA prohibits the use of stimulants in chicken feed. Conventional producers often give their chickens a range of feed, whereas organic producers are prohibited from giving chickens feed that includes mammal protein; instead, they must feed their chickens a wholly organic diet.
- GMOs: Most nonorganic cheeses are made with genetically engineered enzymes. Though organic regulations prohibit this practice, supplies of organic enzymes are unreliable, and many experts doubt the authenticity of claims made by producers of organic enzymes and cultures. Soy milk and soy cheese are made from soybeans, 85% of which planted in the United States are genetically modified. Organic soybeans are required to be GMO-free.
- Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA): Butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows—whether organically raised or not—contains an essential omega-3 fatty acid called conjugated linolenic acid (CLA), which is missing from butter made fro m the milk of grain-fed cows.
Animal Welfare Considerations
Advocates of organic dairy products and eggs often cite animal welfare issues as their most significant concerns.
Dairy Cows
Generally speaking, the smaller the farm, the more comfortably cows live. Organic farms tend to have smaller herds than conventional dairy farms. However, on the majority of small farms—organic or otherwise—cows are given more opportunities to graze in open pastures and have roomier barn accommodations than on industrial farms. Because of the extreme competitiveness of the dairy industry, it is in the best interest of all small dairy farmers to treat their cows well, since healthy cows do in fact produce more milk.
Chickens
Most conventionally raised chickens are kept in tiny, stacked cages called battery cages within enormous factories that hold thousands of chickens. In these cramped conditions, chickens are prone to pecking or even killing one another, a problem that most conventional producers solve by removing their beaks. Many conventional producers also practice forced molting, in which they expose chickens to long periods of light and withhold food in order to shorten the period of time in which chickens naturally do not produce eggs.
Organic producers are required to give chickens access to the outdoors, but this regulation does not stipulate a minimum amount of time, nor does it require any improved living conditions when chickens are not outdoors. Because the regulations are so vague, some producers include more specific labeling on their products (note that none of these classifications alone indicates that a product is organic):
- Free-run: Birds do not live in cages
- Free-range: Birds simply have access to the outdoors
- Pastured: Birds live outside in fenced enclosures
Recommendations
When it comes to dairy products, the size of the farm is often more important than its designation as organic or nonorganic. Smaller farms tend to raise healthier cows, increasing their productivity and reducing the need for anti-biotics and hormones. The best way to ensure that you’re consuming quality dairy products is to seek out products produced locally on small farms.
Most U.S. states have numerous dairy manufacturers selling high-quality nonorganic products from small, local farms. These products compare very favorably with their organic counterparts and will save you money. The country’s largest dairy herds are located in Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, New Mexico, and Washington.
- If you’re concerned about growth hormones: You should buy organic dairy products.
- If you’re concerned about chicken feed additives: You should buy organic eggs.
- If you’re concerned about GMOs: You should buy organic soy products.
- If animal welfare issues are important to you: You should buy organic eggs—though, as with dairy farms, the smaller an egg producer, the more likely it will treat chickens humanely. Labeling designations such as free-range, free-run, and pastured will tell you more about chickens’ living conditions than an organic label.
- If you’re concerned about nutrition or quality: There is no nutritional or taste difference between organic and nonorganic eggs. The most important factor affecting taste is freshness, so be sure to carefully check your eggs’ freshness date before purchasing them.
Where to Buy Organic Dairy Products, Eggs, and Soy Products
- Supermarkets
- Health food and natural food stores
- Food cooperatives
- Farmers’ markets
- Local cheese shops
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