The controversy that erupted a couple of years ago over Alar, a synthetic chemical used on apple trees, helped promote demand for organically produced fruits and vegetables among many consumers. Organic foods are those produced without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and are often perceived to be safer than foods grown with the aid of chemicals.
Now comes the 25,000-member Institute of Food Technologists with a study that seem certain to add to the chemical versus organic controversy. The institute`s study suggests that organic foods pose potentially greater food safety risks than items that have gone through standard food processing methods.
Organically grown foods help satisfy the environmental concerns of consumers, but at the same time consumers should not assume they are worry free or a bargain, says Bob Marshall, a food scientist at the University of Missouri-Columbia who is a regional communicator for the institute.
``If you want to pay the extra price for organic foods, fine, but you`re really buying more hype than benefit,`` Marshall said. ``Without insecticides or rodenticides, organically grown fruits and vegetables may be vulnerable to insects or rodents that transmit disease-causing micro-organisms, such as salmonella.``
The institute`s report contended that responsible use of pesticides will help protect conventionally grown crops against these microorganisms, as well as such other contaminating hazards as molds and worms.
``But organic farming methods-particularly including untreated animal wastes-may not safeguard against these disease-inducing culprits, and indeed may spread them,`` Marshall said.
He added that consumers who buy organic foods as a precaution against illness may be ``substituting a potential near-term risk for a totally uncertain and very remote long-term one.``
Shoppers should check food sources and take other precautions when purchasing and preparing organically grown foods, Marshall suggested. Quality can vary from store to store, he said, and some farmers may use substandard techniques to raise organically grown produce.
For example, he said, health risks can be caused by both untreated animal manures and compost-such as grass clippings and vegetable waste sometimes used in organic farming. Such fertilizers could contaminate both crops and surface water and cause human illness, Marshall said.
As an example, he said that sheep manure used to fertilize cabbage fields some years ago resulted in the first reported outbreak of listeriosis, an illness that can result in nerve damage or death, especially among immuno-compromised persons, human fetuses, newborns and the elderly.
The institute`s report said pesticides could prevent food poisoning from salmonella in organic foods contaminated by insects, rodents, and even birds. And fungicides can reduce harmful molds and toxins, including aflatoxin that some believe to be a potent cancer-causing agent.
Many farmers now combine pesticide use with non-chemical countermeasures to alleviate the risk of human illness from microorganisms and to lessen environmental concerns, Marshall said. It`s called ``integrated pest management`` and relies on selective plant breeding, biological controls (such as predator insects), agricultural practices (such as crop rotation), and more judicious use of pesticides.
``Including pesticides in farm management also helps to provide for year- around availability of inexpensive, nutritious fresh foods,`` the institute`s report said.