organic.....or not ?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

just to let people know... thats things arnt allways what they say they are.....

an article in one of my gardening mags ... says that the pesicide residue committe found two fifths of samples taken during its latest analysis of shop bought food contain chemical traces....

its also said... shoppers sticking to organic produce are not in the clear either..

the report also found garlic old as organic by supermarket giant tescos contain pesticide residues... the bulb imported from spain cantained residues of carbendazim.. listed by the pesticide action network as one of the most troubling pesticides in use... the residues were found to be at the maximum legal level for non-organic produce......

ithe report also said that fruit imported from south africa... contained residues of nerve poison dithiocarbamate....found in apples sold in asda and tescos and also pears in co- op

i also know from first hand .. when i worked in certain food factories... that ...things arent what they say on the label....if there is anyway that companies... can charge a premium price for something... they will.....even if that means saying ..that its organic and its not...

so being totally realistic.. the only way you can be certain something is totally organic....is to grow it yourself..

i dont want to go scare mongering.... but ...look at how companies tamper with our food.. just to make extra.. money...

bonnie_2

i was buying organic food, but have come to the conclusion that it's no different.
chemicals are in the rain and the soil even after 3 years.
organic was costing me £100 a week but no more, i think a lot of it is a scam to be honest. Back to value for me though i will buy ecover as have eczema and i have an organic box delivered because i like seasonal, local, food.

Volcano

OK, I was going to ignore this post and hope it went away but it appears some clarification is in order......

"Organic" is bandied about without regard by many producers of consumer goods. Whilst some stand by this to mean their food is wholesome and produced without artificial pesticides/fertilizers/preservatives whatever, it is clear that less scrupulous companies will use it to increase sales.

It is up to you to make the decision whether that product is right for you: Does it carry the Soil Association mark? What about certification from other organisations? A list of the main ones can be found here:

http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/librarytitles/1908A.HTMl
And yes it can be a pain to check all the labels, but once you know what you're looking for then it's easily done.

i was buying organic food, but have come to the conclusion that it's no different.

Well here's some reasons why it's different:

http://www.organicfood.co.uk/topten.html

Pesticides increase production of crops as well as its appearence on supermarket shelves. I would imagine that the control of pesticide use (especially for "organic" food) is a lot stricter in the UK than Spain and South Africa, never mind less developed countries. Obviously the answer to this is simple: buy local, buy UK produced food.

Saying the soil or produce contains "chemicals" really tells us nothing; IF there are harmful chemicals present then it is the quantity of the chemicals present that is important. Arsenic in my apple? Irrelevant if it's only 0.000000001 of a milligramme.....

Don't give up on the organic food. If you can afford it (and prices are dropping) then it is the next best thing to growing your own. If you can't afford it then buy non-organic UK produce or rinse thoroughly foreign produce.

No we can't trust the big food producers to be honest BUT if you buy 'certified organic' at least you know somebody somewhere is keeping an eye on them.......not sure you can say that about some farm thousands of miles away in Africa!

Clare11

I have been told from good authority from a member of the Dept of Agriculture that there is NO scientific evidence proving that organic food is better for you.
Is it only a sales ploy?
What are your thoughts on the matter?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

fair comment you got to use your own judgement etc.... and i am not trying to put people off organic..... but what i am saying is that....not everything is what it says on the label......i cant mention any company names etc... but i have worked for a factory that packs certain products.. and they are certified to pack organic products.....and have regular inspections..... to make sure that everything is seperate... packing line storage etc.... but ,, and this is the BIG BUT....

yes they do pack organic.... but if they are short for orders they will pack non- organic.. to make the order up.....

also i have worked in a meat packing plant... where same again.. welsh lamb.... if short they will pack new zealand lamb.. making sure that the nz stamp is cut away from the meat..... and i have been quoted by a high ranking member of staff that.... they only have enough product in for traceability... the paper chain.......

you say buy british... yes every time if poss... not only on food products.... but look at the turkey scare a few years ago... you can not trust british... companies... either.

dont get me wrong these cases a few and far between but it is going on.....

MIRRY_2

organic produce is much better for you,
harmful pesticides and hormones pumped into cows/chickens ect
when eaten cause the human body to produce too much oestrogen which then gives you a state of oestrogen dominance.

Oestrogen dominance plays a important role in breast cancer ,womb cancer and prostate cancer.

I would say we should all try to limit the amount of non organic produce we eat.

Volcano

NO scientific evidence proving that organic food is better for you.

This isn't just about what is good for the individual, there is the whole food chain to consider as well as the other factors shown in my 2nd link above. It has been shown that intensively grown fruit and veg bulk up with water, so slice for slice contain less nutrients and vitamins. Defining 'good for you' is subjective but I'd imagine the quantity of nutrients in a portion would feasibly be considered a way of differentiating whether one sample was better than the other.

TRIKERCHICK: Feel free to register under a different handle and name and shame these companies you worked for.

dont get me wrong these cases a few and far between but it is going on.....

I don't doubt it. No one can constantly monitor the production lines of a factory so they could easily get away with it. However, perhaps an anonymous tip off to the relevant organisation could be a good idea in the future.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

its all well and good me naming and shaming these companies... but unless there is an undercover worker working in these places... to actually see when it is happening.... they are not going to get caught.....

like the author of the book not on the label.....

i hope people dont mis-understand me.... i am all for naturally grown and reared food... .. but there are companies that jump ont to bandwagons.. as mentioned in another thread... as its a way of making a premium price for an every day product....

its just to make people aware..... and to buy wisely.... thats all......i am lucky i managed to get an allotment earlier this year... but havent managed to grow anthing... yet.. just clearing it and getting it ready for next year....

abbecer

I did buy organic fruit and veg for a while but had to stop due to the price. However i think the taste is much better and i do miss them.

Rebecca x

Liney_2

Going back to the first post - garlic is sooo easy to grow yourself in pots. That way you know its only going to contain whatever you feed it.

I am a total 'organic' freak. Yes it costs me a small fortune...

I only eat meat if its had a good life and comes from my local organic butcher when I visit friends for a meal I have veg only. I have a fruit and veg box delivered weekly. Use Organic toiletries. Wipe my bum with Organic loo roll and have organic baby formula for my son and clothe him in organic cotton outfits where possible. I am convinced of the benefits of the food but it doesn't stop there - I think the world will be a better place for my son to grow up in if things are better cared for and nurtured - this includes people and nature.

I realise I am fortunate to be able to afford this but I try not to be frivolous on disposable stuff so I have more money available to buy what I believe in.

MIRRY_2

Liney, I do the same (as much as I can afford).
I buy organic foods from tesco or asda
and cosmetics from "SOorganic" online.

I avoid all the parabens (chemicals) in cosmetics and toiletries.

But sometimes Ive seen things in shops listed as Organic
that contain parabens (chemicals) so you have to be a detective reading everything.