Organic Foods: Worth The Extra Cost?

(CBS)  There are literally hundreds of items labeled "organic," everything from spinach to snack foods.

So, what does it really mean to say something is "organic," and is it worth it to pay the higher prices organic foods command?

It's harder than you might think to answer those questions.

Organic food sales have grown approximately 15 percent to 21 percent every year over the past decade, which indicates Americans are concerned about what's in the food they eat.

These days, the term "organic" is applied not only to fruits and vegetables, but also beef, chicken, milk, eggs, grains and even snack foods.

On The Early Show Monday, medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay clarified the meaning of the term "organic," and offered her thoughts on whether that food is indeed healthier, and whether it pays to pay a premium for it.

WHAT DOES ORGANIC REALLY MEAN?

A standard that defines "organic" was established by the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990, because there was a lot of confusion.

It means food with no artificial fertilizers (the ones made with sewage sludge), genetic modification, irradiation (a process that reduces spoilage and kills bacteria and pests), or conventional pesticides.

Livestock raised organically must be fed organic feed, can't be given antibiotics or growth hormones, and have access to the outdoors, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMETHING THAT SAYS "100 PERCENT ORGANIC" AND SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT, BUT STILL "ORGANIC?"

There are different levels of organic foods. "One hundred percent organic" means the food must contain only organically produced ingredients. In order to be labeled organic, at least 95 percent of the ingredients in the food have to have been organically produced.

Processed products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients can use the phrase "made with organic ingredients" and list up to three of the organic ingredients or food groups. For example, soup made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients and only organic vegetables may be labeled either "made with organic peas, potatoes and carrots" or "made with organic vegetables."

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TERMS "NATURAL" AND "ORGANIC"?

Natural foods are different from organic foods. Only products inspected and certified by the USDA can have a label that says organic. Natural foods can't contain any additives, such as preservatives or artificial coloring.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF BUYING ORGANIC FOODS?

Eating organic foods can reduce the amount of pesticides and chemicals that non-organic foods may get into your body. You are also reducing your exposure to antibiotics, genetically modified crops, hormones, and irradiated foods. Still, the long-term health effects aren't clear.

WHY IS IT THAT ORGANIC FOOD USUALLY COSTS MORE?

Organic fruits and vegetables can cost up to about 30 percent more than regular produce. One reason is that organic farms are usually smaller than conventional farms, yielding less even as demand for their crops is high. Controlling pests and weeds without using artificial pesticides is more labor-intensive, harder, and more expensive than using most pesticides. Also, organic feed for livestock is more expensive.

ORGANIC FOODS CONSIDERED SAFER AND HEALTHIER?

The USDA doesn't officially offer any opinion about whether organic food is safer or more nutritious than non-organic food. It only says that organic standards have been met. This includes the companies that handle or process the foods before they get to the supermarket. That said, organic foods have lower levels of artificial pesticides, are not genetically modified, don't have artificial hormones, and reduce your exposure to antibiotics. On the other hand, the EPA regulates pesticides in foods. Strict standards must be met.

As for being healthier, some studies have found that organically grown oranges have more vitamin C and possibly iron and magnesium. Organic milk has been found to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. More research needs to be done on this. One thing to keep in mind is that organic potato chips are still junk food. Being organic doesn't mean you can load up on them.

IS IT BETTER TO BUY ORGANIC FOODS CLOSER TO WHERE THEY ORIGINATE?

It is better to buy it locally because nutrients start depleting in food as soon as it's harvested. The further organic food has to be transported, the more nutrients that are lost.

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For an in-depth look at organic foods, click here.

For a guide to how much pesticide can generally be found in different fruits and vegetables, click here.

[cbskathleen]

Dr. AShton, it is important to remember that many people who eat organic foods also compost their skins/leftovers so it is not just about what is economically wise inside the skins. If you buy conventional foods where the skins contain the pesticides as you noted in your report, it is important to remember one cannot compost those skins with other organic materials. In the long run it is just easier to buy all organic. I honestly don't see the big difference in price that you mentioned either where I shop.

[countryreal]

Well lets go back a couple of hundred years to a time when EVERYTHING was "organic". Did they have cancer? Yes of course they did. Did they have mental disorders?...birth defects? Yup. Was cancer as big of a killer as it is today? No. Why? Because life expectancy was half what it is today. Why? Mainly because of very poor nutrition and the absence of, or very limited key nutrients in our diet. We simply couldn't grow the abundance and variety of foods that we have today. So if it weren't for all those nasty pesticides and preservatives we wouldn't have the cancer rates we have today....simply because we wouldn't live long enough to get cancer. So is it better to die at 40 of malnutrition or 80 of cancer?
Of course we need to be responsible with our food supply. I am not advocating the overuse of pesticides. But I definately don't want to go back to the foods we had 200 years ago. Going backward is not the answer. Lets use our technology and science for a better answer.
Everybody seems to ignore the fact that organic is NOT pesticide free! Lets not bury our heads in the sand by support the ignorance of "organic"

[cbsnewsblog]

People should "read" the article before posting ignorant comments. Organic foods are produced without sewage (despite one blogger's comments... oh, and sewage is far far from being the same as manure AND you should re-read the spinach outbreak facts for full comprehension), without conventional pesticides (despite another blogger's comments), and without other artificial preservatives, hormones, etc. Organinc foods don't claim to make you live longer they just don't shorten your life like non-organic foods. Do some research on the human and environmental impacts all of our past (and current) agricultural practices (ie: chemicals) pose to life. You will be surprised to find that most cancer's are linked, as are birth defects, mental disorders, and even sexuality (yes, that's right, your sexuality... see "Estrogen Mimickers"). Organic may not necessarily mean perfectly pure, as many of you are presuming, but it does mean a helluva-lot better than non-organic.

[hemmelou]

I have been working in the food industry for over 15 years and reading some of these comments really show how much the media affects our beliefs. Most organic food is fertilized by using manure (sewage). The only difference is that this sewage has not been processed (dried) before being spread onto the field. Anyone who things organic is better for you should do some research on the spinach outbreak and decide for yourself.

[countryreal]

and while I am on the soap box....
Would someone please explain how this organic thing is supposed to help the environment? I mean really, if eating organic food is so much better for us and makes us all live longer...then isn't that bad for the environment? I mean aren't most of our environmental problems due to overpopulation? So wouldn't it be logical to assume the environment would better off if we all ate badly and died younger?

[countryreal]

Come on people. We have been spoiled by the abundance of cheap food our modern technology has provided us. So now, we theorize and criticise our agriculture practices. The prices of organic foods are just a little window on what life would be like without modern agriculture. Organic does NOT mean pesticide free! A recent Cleveland fox news story compared organic to non oranic milk and found equal or higher levels of chemical in the Organic milk! There is no proof that organic is better. There are much more reasonable and HONEST alternatives..such as the "grass fed" or natural movement. Now what organic REALLY is, is a way to sustain and subsidize small family farms and ease the conscience of regulators that have let the factory farms run wild over them. THATS what Organic is....please don't lie about it being any better for you! Actually if you really think about it... Organic is really a slap in the face of lower income segment of our society. Are we prepared to subsidize them so they can be healthy too? ....this whole thing is such a crock!

[patrickjlewi]

One other comment on "why organic food usually costs more." Consider that conventional farmers receive government subsidies to grow food, particularly those growing "commodity" crops. So it's not exactly a level playing field re: the price a consumer pays at the supermarket. In order to bring the prices of organically farmed food more in line w/those of food traditionally sprayed w/pesticides, or grown w/fertilizers, growth hormones, or "genetic enhancements", wouldn't it make sense to subsidize organic farming, which would in turn theoretically both improve the environment and simultaneously reduce health care costs? It doesn't seem logical to my friends and me to pay someone to pollute the food we eat ...... Just a thought ........!

[cfin5]

My wife and I eat organic food all we can afford to buy and then grow the rest. Do not forget that it is not always what food that you eat that will get you. It's what eats you(stress).

[davek455]

always always buy organic strawberries, raspberrie and blueberries....they are packed with antioxidants, but are also like sponges for pesticides and other chemicals

remember, eat fruits and vegetables to keep the chemo away and to keep the wrinkles away

[erasmus6]

Just think, they are wondering what has happened to the honey bees, gee I wonder! The fruits that have been named as having the worst pesticides are the ones that the bees gather the pollen from. Now if this is unhealthy for us, what is it doing to the TINY bees? There are some pretty stupid people in this world, are there not?