| The FSA (Food Standards Agency) inexplicably took | | | | the use of genetically modified crop strains. It seems |
| a stab at discrediting the value of organic foods by | | | | this most recent attempt by the FSA to discredit the |
| commissioning a recent study from the London School | | | | importance of organic foods completely misses the |
| of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, which found no | | | | mark and shows its bias by focusing solely on nutrient |
| major differences in "nutrient content" between organic | | | | content and not on the potential dangers of |
| and conventional foods. "What it shows is that there is | | | | non-organic food. Yet the titles of the reports are |
| little, if any, nutritional difference between organic and | | | | crafted to oversimplify into a "vitamins = health" |
| conventionally produced food and that there is no | | | | argument, a grossly false premise which only leaves |
| evidence of additional health benefits from eating | | | | consumers confused and frustrated. |
| organic food." The report went on to concede that | | | | Even the most knowledgeable shoppers are duped by |
| they did find traces of pesticides in the urine of | | | | perfect packaging or creative marketing and the use |
| participants who consumed the non-organic foods, | | | | of meaningless phrases like "all natural" or "lite", and are |
| though it was buried towards the end. The findings | | | | totally in the dark when it comes to the actual origins |
| were then presented under the false assumption that | | | | of their food supply. Michael Pollan, best-selling author |
| consumers pay higher prices for organic foods | | | | and professor of journalism at UC Berkeley states in |
| believing they have a higher content of nutrients, or | | | | his book, In Defense of Food, "We have changed the |
| those figures printed on a food nutrition label. The | | | | way we eat more in the last 50 years than in the |
| report, however, is fatally flawed in that it completely | | | | previous 10,000." Real food has given way to |
| fails to recognize the primary reason consumers buy | | | | profit-seeking corporations engaged in "manufacturing" |
| organic in the first place. The bigger picture is missing, | | | | and "engineering" food - as opposed to "growing" food |
| thus this fleeting "discovery" is just that, fleeting. | | | | - using crops subsidized by the government which |
| Let's forget for a moment that there are just as many | | | | rewards them with huge profits. |
| studies that actually reached the opposite conclusion. | | | | We've come up with brilliant inventions like high |
| One of the most significant, being a four-year study | | | | fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils so |
| done by Newcastle University in which researchers | | | | we can make cheap sugars and "plastic fats" that can |
| grew fruits, vegetables, and raised cattle on both | | | | stay on grocery store shelves for years without fear |
| organic and non-organic sites across Europe spanning | | | | of spoiling. We've also found efficient ways of |
| 725 acres. The study found that organic fruits and | | | | producing meat (though totally neglectful of our health, |
| vegetables contained as much as forty percent (40%) | | | | the environment, and the animals) that is cheaper and |
| higher levels of antioxidants, which are believed to | | | | faster, therefore much more lucrative. We no longer |
| reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The milk | | | | eat "real food" and it's affecting our health. Back in the |
| from the organic cattle contained between fifty and | | | | 1950s we Americans spent around 5% of our annual |
| eighty percent (50-80%) more antioxidants than | | | | income on health care and almost 20% on food. |
| "conventionally-produced" milk. | | | | Today it's almost the exact opposite, so it seems |
| The study didn't even touch on the list of undesirable | | | | there must be a direct correlation between food |
| substances the "conventional" milk DID contain, which | | | | quality and overall health. We as consumers are |
| brings us to the number one reason why organic food | | | | getting a lower quality of food at a lower price but at |
| is becoming more popular. Organic food, by law, does | | | | what cost? Those dollars we used to spend on quality |
| not contain pesticides, growth hormones, chemicals | | | | food must now be diverted to prescription medications |
| introduced to artificially ripen or preserve, or other | | | | to counteract the effects of our poor food supply. |
| potentially harmful substances in addition to prohibiting | | | | |