We all always try to ignore the facts about safety and quality of our food. Maybe too much information is available for the matter, maybe we do not have time, maybe we prefer to remain relaxed and not to be bothered as it is too much hassle. Organic foods are not an exception. Here in this article, Organic Ekiosk team presents 3 things not known in depth, things that consumers amy ignore them entirely or they know them partly.
Especially the first thing/matter can not be learnt or revealed through a practical way or a certain practice for example the carefull reading of Organic food label, where the ingredients declaration, nutrional values, weight, country of origin and the manufacturer address are printed will not be giving you any information about some things. We as consumers should be educating ourselves continuously on these matters related to organic food.
A. Organic food are the heathiest option of all foods
Let’s explain why organic foods are the only healthy option. They are free from:
- Growth hormones, usually injected into animals. Miniscule traces of them can mess up the human hormone system,
- Antibiotics. We all know the presence and use of antibiotics everywhere has created superbugs which are now not fought through the normal antiobiotics, apart from the fact the presence of animal antibiotic in food is considered as contamination
- Toxic pesticides residues, such as Round-up or Glyphosate. Pesticides are extremently toxic chemical compounds which create havoc to human nervous system
- Insecticides, such as neonicotinoids or coumaphos which kill useful insects such honeybees and wild bees
- Chemical preservatives, such as suplhites, nitrates, nitrites, sorbates, benzoic acid salts
- Chemical flavour enhancers, MSG, or Sodium-Ribonucleotides
- Artificial sweeteners: such as saccharine, sucralose and aspartame
- Artificial chemical fertilisers, creating temporary feeding of the crops but they damage the quality of the soil
- Genetically modified organisms or ingredients, or components. In the scene of altering the genetic code of crops and animals,altering the DNA, gene editing and bio engineering are the new terms to hide the hazards coming onto our plates
Up to now the abbreviation GMO is used but now they try to eradicate the term as it is known to the public. Organisms, crops, or animals DNA has been changed by scientists in a lab, thus a human intervention in nature’s process, the most dentrimental selfdestructing move by humans - Herbicides, known for the damage to the human’s health
- Artificial food flavourings and sweeteners. You might remember Sudan dyes or have seen Tartrazine, Aspartame and the similar
All the above are not allowed in the organic farming of raising animals, cultivating crops, and the production and packing of organic foods.
The absence of these chemical toxic compounds render the organic foods the healthiest option available for all consumers. Healthiest option means that the consumption of these organic foods will not cause any diseases. On the other hand conumption of conventional food containing the above vhemicals can cause from asthma to cancer. There are studies showing that pesticides even affect the cognitive development of children (1).
Organic foods are clean, clean from the dangerous substances, they should be chosen frequently by the consumers.
Pesticide residues are the main concern along with GMO. No matter how well a produce is washed the pesticide residues will never entirely removed. With the GMO crops various and serious implications have cropped up as we do not know:
– How the GMO crops interact with the natural organic crops,
– After this abnormal interaction of GMO crop with Non-GMO crop, a new resulted product appears with altered DNA. This new altered crop will interact with human DNA and we do not know the results of this interaction. It is going against the process of nature.
Previous studies where GMO potatoes had been fed to mice had shown that the mice developed tumour cancers. Other GM crops developed to resist the effects of weedkiller have now been unable to cope with the DNA alteration and they collapse after the usage of herbicides.
We all know Dolly the cloned sheep in Scotland, where the experiment was a total failure and now we have the GM salmon in Canada and GM crops in US. The UK currently does experiments with the wheat in order to introduce to GM wheat to avoid the burning of bread slices in the toaster. It does not make sense at all!
Is this the real purpose or is it used as a little weak door of the castle of No GMO regime in continental Europe?
According to NutriNet-Santé and Bionutrinet eating organic food reduces the risk of obesity, being overweight. According to the same study from 2013, there was a 31% reduction in the risk of having metabolic syndrome for people who regularly ate organic food compared to those who never ate
organic food.
Here in Organic ekiosk, we have some products which are so unique such as the organic fusilli made from lentils and chickpeas. This is a very wholesome and nutritious food with plenty of protein too
2nd matter
B. Organic foods have various appearances
This difference mainly apply to fruits and vegetables. As a consumer you will see fruits with smaller size, cracks or blemishes on the surface. They do not look super shiny and do not have perfect shape but they look imperfect and they are the real natural products of the earth. Organic foods such as fruits are neither identical nor uniform in structure, colour or shape. They are not polished-The duller their appearance is, the better, showing thats the way nature works.
3rd matter
C. Organic farming is environment friendly and sustainable
The main disaster of conventional farming is the promise that you can do cultivate everything, everywhere but after 15 years we all know that everything would be dead and there will be no production.
The growing fields are already dying as residual toxic pesticides and heavy metals remain there for years. These toxic pesticides render the organic soil matter dead which makes cultivation impossible and no viable anymore.
Until recently, we have had the agriculturists advising farmers to use as much toxic pesticide as they could in order to save their crops. Now, with organic farming, all these have been removed and instead natural substances are used to fight off pests along with the organic compost.
Due to absence of these toxic pesticides, heavy metals, GMO, herbicides, the organic farming practically conserves the quality of the soil, water and the air. We would say that organic farming does not only conserve the earth quality but it promotes sustainability as it works in harmony with nature.
Organic farming practices are sustainable, as the farmers/growers respect the nature with all its elements, animals and trees/plants. They will never push it to produce more especially when there is a bad harvest season.
There are already reports mentioning that there is a huge contamination of the rivers in Europe with pesticides and they had been used several years before their detection and remain there. The environmental pollution made by pesticides, heavy metals and GMO is non reversible.
Organic Dairy Farms stores carbon and reduces greenhouse gas emissions according to a study from Journal of Cleaner Productions.
”Since cows on organic farms tend to have more pasture in their diets, they do more grazing, and that’s a big component of carbon
sequestration” Statement from the scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead researcher behind the study.
Animal manure such poulty, hog and cow manure or composting are used to feed the soil and weeds are managed by rotating crops, using cover crops and tillage.
Other growers use red worms to breakdown manure and crop waste into vermicompost, a rich organic bio-fertiliser.
To deter pests they make concoctions from chilli, thitonia, neem a bit of soap to make a paste, suitable to fight off pests.
Tip:
Natural does not mean organic. Natural does not mean guarantees as the certified organic food mean. When you see the word ”Natural” on the label that means the food is not linked or connected to certified organic food product at all. Its meaning is vague and is used by the food manufacturers as alternative way to attract consumers to buy conventional food instead of organic one.
”Natural” word printed on the packaging is not regulated by any country in the world. Also there are not current farming practices or standards under the ”natural umbrella while for the organic food products are under the organic farming standards, audit and accreditation.
Sources:
1. Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: a comprehensive review
Environmental Health volume 16, Article number: 111 (2017)
2. Livestock antibiotics and rising temperatures disrupt soil microbial communities, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
3. Food Preservatives and their harmful effects, Dr Sanjay Sharma, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 5, Issue 4, April 2015
4. Effects of Preservatives and Emulsifiers on the Gut Microbiome By: Angel Kaufman Spring 2021 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Biology in cursu honorum Reviewed and approved by Dr. Jill Callahan Professor, Biology
5. Pesticides and antibiotics polluting streams across Europe, by Damian Carrington, found on https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/08
6. Study links insecticide use to invertebrate die-offs by Damian Carrington on https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/may/01/study-links-insecticide-invertebrate-die-off
7. New Report Reveals Organic Dairy Farming Stores Carbon, Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
New Report Reveals Organic Dairy Farming Stores Carbon, Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
