Millions Have Switched To Only Choosing Organic Foods

Americans are becoming better educated regarding the way their foods are grown and their health benefits. The health consequences when Americans buy GMO foods are well documented. Consumers have begun to buy organic foods despite the increased cost.

Numerous farmers are now growing strictly organic foods. They've seen the backlash caused by GMOs, and feel their profits aren't worth losing customers. The result is a serious demand for the healthiest foods.

The buying public, however, is sometimes unacquainted with organic foods, their health benefits, and what qualifies as organic. Highly suspicious of food labels claiming “organic,” the public fears that anyone can put that label on their food whether or not it's truly organic. Here's what to look for when shopping for organic food. 

Benefits Of Organic Foods

When consumers shop for organic foods, they reach for produce first. However, meats, dairy, eggs, as well as breakfast cereals, pasta, and some canned products such as tomato sauces and vegetables are organic as well. Their health benefits include:

• Less pesticides and chemical fertilizer are used.  All-natural fertilizers such as compost and animal manure are the main option. 
• Pests are controlled using birds, traps, and insects as well as natural pesticides to repel pests planted alongside a row of vegetables or fruits.
• Organic foods are served fresher due to not containing preservatives for shelf life. Organic foods are often grown on farms nearer to the grocery store or farmer's market selling them.
• Organic foods are not genetically modified (GMO,) nor given growth hormones or antibiotics.

What Qualifies As Organic Food?

In order to grow strictly organic foods, a farmer must allow his fields to lie fallow for three years. This eliminates formerly used pesticides and fertilizers harmful to the food. Following this time, the farmer must adhere to USDA organic growing guidelines.

These include the testing of soil for quality, water quality, animals raised on natural things like alfalfa and grass, pest control, weed control, and the USDA preferred additives. Organic farmers can only rely on natural resources.

Organic foods offer four labels for consumers' education. One hundred percent certified organic means the food is completely organic from the ground up. Organic foods may have USDA-approved additives in them. These products are considered up to 90 percent certified organic. The next label will read “made with” organic ingredients. This means that the product must be made with three or up to 70 percent organic ingredients. It can't offer the label organic according to the USDA. The last label of which consumers should be aware contains “specific organic ingredients.” This label contains less than 70 percent of ingredients that are certified organic. The label can't wear the certified organic seal nor use the word organic.

Commonly Grown Organic Foods

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) annually lists the fruits and vegetables least affected by pesticides and most affected by pesticides. They call it the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. If the items on the dirty list are desirable to those wishing to eat organic, then go strictly organic. These “Dirty Dozen” foods include: 

1. Strawberries
2. Cherries
3. Apples
4. Potatoes
5. Spinach
6. Kale
7. Celery
8. Tomatoes
9. Pears
10. Nectarines
11. Peaches
12. Grapes

The foods listed as the “Clean Fifteen” include: 

1. Honeydew melons
2. Eggplant
3. Mushrooms
4. Avocadoes
5. Sweet corn
6. Cantaloupe
7. Pineapple
8. Onions
9. Sweet peas, frozen
10. Broccoli
11. Cauliflower
12. Papaya
13. Cabbage
14. Kiwi
15. Asparagus

The foods listed in the Clean Fifteen might have a small number of pesticides used, but not enough to worry consumers. Add to this the fact that some of the foods listed on the Clean Fifteen are protected by thick skins or rinds that most pesticides can't penetrate.