Organic Foods - Premium Prices for a Premium Product? (Organic Food in general)

Member Name: sidneygee

Product:	Organic Food in general
Date:	27/01/02 (1357 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See Opinion

Disadvantages: Can be pricey, Not always as 'Good' as you might want to believe.

Organic Food is one of those aspects of the Food & Drink Industry that has intrigued me for a number of years.

Let me pose a series of questions about Organic Food.

Is organic food grown :

a) Using selected chemicals, which have each been proven to be completely non-toxic?

b) Using selected man-made and ‘natural’ chemicals, some of which are accepted as being highly toxic?

c) Using only 'natural' chemicals?

d) Using no chemicals at all?


And is Organic Food :

e) Significantly higher in nutritional content than food produced conventionally?

f) Safer than food produced conventionally?

g) Kinder to the environment overall than food produced conventionally?

h) Kinder to animals raised for producing Organic Meat?

Eight Questions. They all require a simple "Yes" or "No" with perhaps (being generous) an occasional "Sometimes" response.

So, could you stop here and assess how many "Yes's" and "No's" that you gave ?

More than one "Yes"? Oh dear. You have fallen into the trap of believing what you feel should be so and possibly all that the Organic Lobby would like you to believe.

How many "No's" ?

Well a bit debatable here - obviously there will be at least three, but I would say at least 4 (arguably 7) with, at best, one and certainly no more than three "Sometimes". Some of the issues are tackled in the body of this opinion and a full list of the 'correct answers' (with justification where necessary) is given towards the end.

The Organic Food Market in the UK
I need hardly tell you that over the past 10 years, the market for organic food has grown dramatically, particularly in some specific product sectors. All supermarkets now seem to stock 'fresh' organic products, and they are hea
vily promoted. Indeed, according to surveys, 3 out of 4 families are said to buy at least some organic food. A recent report also showed that 55% of all baby food sold in Waitrose stores is 'organic'. However, another survey from Mintel suggested that the number of people who now think that organic food is "healthier and safer than conventional food" has dropped. This assertion has been attacked vigorously by members of the Organic Food Trade, incidentally.

Another notable fact about Organic food is that the proportion of "organic land" in the UK is still less than 0.5% compared with about 4% in Germany, 5% in Denmark and 8% in Austria, for example.

Currently there is a substantial demand for organic food and over 80% of the demand in the UK has to be met by imports. My larder at the moment contains two packs of organic new potatoes, from Israel – and they will go well very well with the roast beef that we are eating today !

But what do you make of it ?

In my experience, I cannot generally rate the 'Organic processed food' as being any better organoleptically (i.e. better flavour and texture) than that produced conventionally.

However, organic meat is invariably delicious, but 'our' local Safeways has recently opened a Butchery counter, and the quality of the lamb and the pork bought from there (ignoring the centrally pre-packed meat on the shelves) is always superb quality – and usually at a fraction of the price of 'Organic' meat we buy occasionally from a local 'farmers' market.

As regards fruit and vegetables – well the situation is more mixed. For example, organic potatoes are not infrequently 'green' - in more ways than one – the skins are sometimes green-coloured, which indicates poor farming/distribution practice where the tubers are exposed to light. The development of the green coloration also invo
lves the development of the glycoalkaloid ‘Solanine', a natural toxicant that can cause poisoning, so I would certainly recommend avoiding them.

But these Israeli potatoes certainly are NOT like that ... a creamy white flesh ... and awaited with keen anticipation.

When I worked in the Public Analysts profession (for 30 years up to 1996), we would analyse both organic and conventional foods for pesticide residues. We did not often find excessive levels of pesticides (apart from 'fungicide' residues in lettuces on many occasions – which showed how important it always is to wash fruit and vegetables well before using in the kitchen). However, organic foods were not always totally free from residues and did not generally give a 'squeaky clean' image that we might want to believe. Some pesticides will persist in the soil (and in our bodies) for years.

Of more concern is the potential for the presence of a group of very dangerous materials in some foods, those called 'Mycotoxins'.

These are by-products (metabolites) from that activity of moulds. When a mould grows on a food, it can produce a toxic metabolite and I would dare suggest that this a problem on which inadequate research is being carried out.

Examples include species of the mould Aspergillus producing a variety of compounds termed Aflatoxins (which are powerful carcinogens known to cause liver tumours) when growing on nuts/beans Species of both Aspergillus and Penicillium produce the mycotoxin Patulin in fruits and Ochratoxin in grains. Indeed apple juice produced from mouldy apples may contain detectable levels of this Patulin, and surveys show greater numbers of organic apple juices containing this residue than ordinary apple juice.

Another mould called Fusarium produces a range of toxins called 'Fumonisins'; little is yet known of their toxicity to humans, although it has been established that
they are carcinogenic in tests on animals, and they will grow rapidly in soils that have been previously treated with herbicides and then not followed up with frequent application of fungicides.

Moulds are controlled in conventional farming by the use of a range of fungicides, but none of the really effective ones are approved for organic farming. Thus, organic foodstuffs are more prone to being affected by moulds, and this results in a greater danger of containing Mycotoxins. Indeed, in (I think it was) 1986, Public Analysts carried out a survey of peanut butter for aflatoxins, and it was only peanut butter from an Organic producer that was found to contain any significant Aflatoxin residue levels.

More recent surveys have also suggested that organic foods are more likely to contain mycotoxin residues, and there is a fear that organic farms could become a 'reservoir' for such moulds, residing in the soil and protected from being treated by fungicides and able to infect the soil on neighbouring non-organic farms.

THE HISTORY OF ORGANIC FOOD IN THE UK
The main pusher of the concept of Organic Food in the UK is The Soil Association, which is a registered charity (www.soilassociation.org).

I can recall the Public Analyst's Laboratory in Derbyshire where I first worked having a close relationship with their base in Suffolk and their supporters in Derbyshire and we provided some analytical services, analysing soils and crops for pesticide residues (mostly DDT based in the 1960's).

They were a committed bunch then – I can recall a strange cove called "Bill Sowerbutts" coming with a group from the organisation to visit the Laboratory. He was quite famous then, being on the radio program "Gardeners' Question Time" and came back to visit my Boss (Joe) one Thursday. They went off to lunch together in the local boozer, and came out the 'best of buddies', swaying in t
he breeze as they said their 'goodbyes' with a farewell 'fag' in the car park. The whole staff of the Laboratory lined up along the window watching this scene, with unbridled hilarity...

Sowerbutts looked a real 'character', and his interest in cricket and gardening matched those of Joe's ...

The initial moves of the Soil Association were in response to the growth of intensive farming, with a valid recognition that this development 'squeezed' the nutrients out of soil – and even poisoning it with pesticides - resulting in poorer quality food. All notably praise-worthy aims, and this has expanded into the pushing of the concept of, shall we call it, "organic development", going beyond campaigning and into 'certification' of organic farmers and producers. It claims that 80% of the organic food sold in the UK has passed its approval certification and it is doing its best to encourage farmers and producers to register by recently lowering its initial registration fee to £195 (from £390).

For anyone interested in organic foods, you really must visit the Soil Association website (www.soilassociation.org). You can register as a member for free and this gives you access to these services:

 Discussion forums - air your views and exchange ideas.
 Ask an expert - post your questions and we'll get you an answer from one of our organic experts.
 The Organic Directory - the most comprehensive UK listing of organic products and suppliers.
 Recipes - seasonal organic recipes prepared specially by respected chefs.
 Email updates - get regular email alerts on the issues that matter to you.

Although classified as a charity (and you can become a supporter for £24 a year), the Soil Association has now become big business with an income of £5.1 million total – approximately one third from subscriptions and do
nations, one third from certification and one third from grants. Thus it now fights its corner with a greater vehemence than ever. Recently there was a proposal from DEFRA (sounds MUCH more 'professional' than "MAFF" - which it was called – doesn't it – but it is NOT !!) for the certification of organic producers to be passed to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), and this would obviously cost The Soil Association dear. Their press release objecting to the proposal can be read from their web-site and is pure 'squealing' at the prospect of losing a significant proportion of their income. Since I work with many Laboratories that deal directly with UKAS, I cannot be critical of the organisation (lol).

You have to watch carefully the claims made for organic foods though. Frequently they go beyond the truth and give an unfair slant on their perceived benefits. Indeed there have been a series of run-ins with the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) on such claims. The definitive views of the ASA can be summarised as :

“The ASA has approved alternative general phrases such as:
‘organic agriculture AIMS TO AVOID the use of artificial pesticides/fertilisers’, or
‘organic standards RESTRICTS the use of artificial pesticides/fertilisers’, or
‘grown under organic standards which MINIMISE the use of artificial pesticides/fertilisers’.


Not the emphasis that I have put into these statements !

Usually it is the fault of 'copywriters' with the Supermarket chains (such as Tesco), making the usual sort of exaggerated claims to try and persuade people to buy the product range. The real danger from this is that arguably dangerous preconceptions take root in the public psyche, and become very difficult to remove. That is the reason for those questions I posed at the beginning of this opinion.

Organic Farming –
; The Truth ?
According to The Soil Association:

"Organic farmers, as far as possible, avoid using unnecessary chemical sprays. Food additives linked to asthma and heart disease are among those banned under organic standards with processed foods".

The environment
"Organic farming is friendlier to the environment so there is a much greater diversity of birds, butterflies and plants on organic farms. Organic standards ban the use of GM technology."

Animal welfare
"Organic farming requires animals to be kept in more natural, free-range conditions with a more natural diet."

Taste
"Many people tell us they buy organic food because they believe it tastes better."


Organic Farming:
 Organic farming severely restricts the use of artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
 Instead, organic farmers rely on developing a healthy, fertile soil and growing a mixture of crops.
 Animals are reared without the routine use of drugs, antibiotics and wormers common in intensive livestock farming.

They do not restrict themselves to organic food, but are now trying to establish themselves as the champions of sustainable forestry and environmentally friendly paper-production.

The association also provides a list of what it sees as the :

10 REASONS TO EAT ORGANIC
1. Organic food tastes extremely good - this is the simple message given by many people who eat organic.

2. Organic fruit and vegetables have been shown in a number of studies to contain more vitamins, nutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants than non-organic food.

3. Organic systems aim to avoid the use of artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers.

4. Organic food is produced without GMOs, which are prohibited in the Soil Association's standards for organic food and farming.

5. Organic farming places g
reat emphasis on animal welfare.

6. Organic food is produced without the routine use of antibiotics.

7. Organic systems reduce dependence on non-renewable resources.

8. Organic production is more sustainable and friendlier to the environment and wildlife.

9. There has not been a case of BSE in any herd which has been in full organic management since before 1985.

10. Organic systems rely on a modern and scientific understanding of ecology and soil science, while also depending on traditional methods of crop rotations to ensure fertility and weed and pest control.


All very admirable, but you have to read each word very carefully to extract the full truth.

The Answers ?

Well, of the questions I posed at the beginning of this opinion, only b) is a definite "Yes".

All the others are, arguably "No", - certainly a), c), d) and g) - but I could concede that e), f) and h) might be argued as "Sometimes".

As regards a), c), and d), the rules are that there is a list of man-made and ‘natural’ chemicals that organic farmers can use. They are listed in EC legislation. ‘Natural’ indeed may not be really ‘natural’, and don’t think for a moment that ‘natural’ means ‘safe’. The so-called ‘natural’ chemicals include Copper Sulphate, used to combat potato blight and for spraying grapes – but it is a toxic chemical that does NOT occur naturally, and cause liver damage and kills earthworms – not exactly non-toxic is it ? It is also inferior to modern fungicides. A 'natural' permitted insecticide called ‘Rotenone’ is prepared from a plant called ‘Derris’, and is believed to be a potential cause of Parkinsons Disease to those exposed to it in use.

And how about Question g), as regards organic food production being "kinder to
the environment overall than food produced conventionally"? That really is the biggest load of cobblers. For a start, 80% has to be imported – think of the environmental damage caused by transport. And how about the lower yields that organic crops produce. That means in these countries from which the food is imported, more land has to be devoted to these 'cash crops', and the land can be put to much better use – for example, fewer forests have to be cleared. Also, 'manure' used on the land on organic farms should be 'composted' before use (to remove the faecal bacteria). This allows methane and ammonia to be released into the atmosphere, and these are pollutants ....


As regards Question h) is it kinder to animals raised for producing 'Organic Meat'?

The RSPCA is known to be most concerned about the welfare of animals raised on organic farms. The effective banning of the use of modern veterinary products from treatment can mean the animal suffering from diseases that can be treated easily. The RSPCA is particularly critical of those farmers who subscribe to homeopathic remedies to ensure that their organic producer licence is not endangered. That really is a case of money ruling the heart, IMHO.

Oh, and another point about 'Organic Meat'. Did you know that the licence conditions allows up to "49%" of the food fed to such animals to be "not from organic sources"? It is all there if you search The Soil Association website.

As regards question e), is Organic Food significantly higher in nutritional content from food produced conventionally? Well some reports do show that some nutrients are at slightly higher levels, but "significantly" ? – well that is debatable.

The term 'nutrients' is also to be considered carefully. The data produced is mostly on 'minerals', and if you eat the fruit and vegetabl
es that are tested (organic or not), then you will get more than ample amounts of the nutrients concerned, so at best the results of this research is misleading

As regards Question f) is it safer than food produced conventionally? Well apart from my fears about Mycotoxins shown above, problems have been found with Organic Mushrooms contaminated by dangerous faecal bacteria, derived from poorly composted manure used in their cultivation.


Another fear that I have with the organic band-wagon, is that I believe that it tends to over-state the perceived 'dangers' from conventional foods. This could have the effect of discouraging people from eating fruit and vegetables obtained from conventional sources. In view of the variable availability of organic foods, this may have a deleterious effect on the diet.


Sorry if I did destroy a few golden thoughts and spoiled those feelings of accomplishment when you bought your organic food this week....

Oh – Moi ? Well those potatoes were bought yesterday at 75% reduction from Safeways – 60 pence for 500 grams – they cannot be allowed to hang around for long after their expiry date, this organic produce, so I can benefit with careful shopping.

Another good feature of organic food is that, sometimes, the Organic varieties are chosen carefully and just might provide a whole new organoleptic experience, but such an event is rare indeed. I am just hoping that those potatoes ....


Footnote
"Delicious!!!"

© Sidneygee 2002

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