Organic food

“Organic” or “organically grown” foods are commonly represented as “food grown without pesticides; grown without artificial fertilizers; grown in soil whose humus content is increased by the additions of organic matter; grown in soil whose mineral content is increased with applications of natural mineral fertilizers; which has not been treated with preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, etc.” The substitution of “organic” for “chemical” fertilizers during the growth of plants produces no change in the nutritional or chemical properties of foods. All foods are made of “chemicals.” Traces of pesticides have been reported to be present in about 20 to 30% of both “organic” and conventional foods. These traces are usually within the official tolerance levels. Such levels are set low enough to protect consumers adequately. Indeed, there is no record of a single case of injury to a consumer resulting from the application of pesticides to food crops at permitted levels. There is no method for distinguishing between “organic” and conventional foods. The use of the term “organic” is a promotional device. Prices of “organic” foods tend to be higher than those of their conventional counterparts. A series of controlled tests showed that conventional foods were superior to corresponding “health foods” in terms of odor, color, texture, and flavor.