watching the Oscar-nominated "Food, Inc." documentary
showing tomatoes blasted with ethylene gas to spur natural ripening
for faster sales; chickens living in squalor and never seeing
daylight; corn syrup-infused foods; and salmonella scares and e-coli
scandals, itís no wonder consumers are concerned about their food.
The best advice is to eat healthily. Yet the question remains
whether organic or nonorganic is the answer to a proper diet.
"Organic" refers to the way food is grown or animals are
raised. Basically, organic farmers donít use chemicals to fertilize
or pesticides to control weeds. Instead, they use mulch as a weed
deterrent or crop rotations.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, only
products can be labeled "100 percent organic" if they are
completely organic or made of all organic ingredients. If a tag merely
says "organic," that means that the product is at least 95
"Made with organic ingredients" are those products
containing at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The official
organic seal canít be used on these packages. The USDA also makes
sure that foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients
canít use the organic seal or the word "organic" on their
product label. But they can include the organic items in their
"For example, you could see ĎMade with Organic Chocolateí
on a chocolate bar meaning the cocoa was organically sourced, but the
other 30 percent of the ingredients were not," explains Autumn
Faughn, Whole Foods Market marketing director.
"While there is no definitive evidence that organic foods are
linked with health benefits, many of our customers tell us they
believe itís true. Itís certainly true that organically grown
foods are healthier for our environment and it helps to reduce our
exposure to toxic chemicals," Faughn says.
Whole Foods Market was the first national certified organic
retailer under the USDAís organic standards and has third party
auditors and independent organic certifiers visiting each of its
stores nationally to verify that the chain is in compliance with the
USDA standards, according to Faughn. "Most importantly, our team
of buyers and auditors personally visit farms and facilities where our
organic products are sourced," she says.
Not only with produce, but meat and dairy product labels are also
important. Meat is organic if the animal eats only certified organic
food and grazes on land that is pesticide-free. In addition, the
animals may not be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone or
other artificial drugs. Chicken eggs are certified organic if the
chickens dine only on organic corn mash.
A caveat, however, is that even organic eggs may come from chickens
living in substandard, crowded living conditions, or housed in a cage
their entire lives. Another egg choice is one that is "free
range," where the chicken has access to the outside. Best of all
is knowing the farm where your eggs come from.
The government hammer comes down with penalties on anyone "who
knowingly sells or labels as organic a product that is not produced
and handled in accordance with regulations."
Joe and Jodie Nolan of Waukeshaís Good Harvest Market encourage
shoppers to study labels. More than 80 percent of the foods at Good
Harvest are organic. However, some items are a challenge, especially
if gluten-free, because few of these products are certified organic.
The store also sells locally grown produce, some of which has not been
Joe Nolan, who is on the national board of the Independent Natural
Food Retailers, an organization of some 50 retailers that are not
cooperatives, says, "Weíre seeing that people are more educated
about organic. If an organic or nonorganic item is in a store and the
price is about the same, 99 percent of the people will buy the
organic." Nolan says prices between the two varieties are
narrowing every year. "Itís the law of supply and demand,"
For Kathleen McGlone of Slow Pokes in Grafton, just about
everything should be organic. She started her cozy, people-friendly
store because of her food allergies and is now determined to educate
others about what is good, and not so good, about todayís food.
If the consumer wants a list of what should be organically grown or
raised, McGlone emphasized starting with dairy products, moving on to
meats, and then fruits and vegetables. Only coconuts didnít make her
hit list, laughing that they generally grow out of reach of pesticide
applicators and can be husked.
McGloneís mission is to "provided local sustainably raised
products direct from area farms and provide nutrient-dense natural
foods in easily digested products." Part of this process is
encouraging educational opportunities that help consumers take better
care of themselves. Offering locally produced produce, milk and dairy
products, sourced from farmers and outlets she knows, is another