It was published last week, but I might as well post about it anyways. A recent comprehensive study showed that organic food is no more healthy than non-organic food. The Times article, summarized in one sentence, reads:
Shoppers pay more for organic fruit, vegetables, chicken, beef and milk but the food gives no nutritional enhancement to people’s diet.
Coincidentally, Penn and Teller had an episode last Thursday about what they see as the plethora of B.S. behind the organic food industry. P&T aren’t always completely insightful or exclusively instructive, in my opinion. But the episode nonetheless makes some good arguments in an ever-so-lighthearted fashion.
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August 4, 2009 at 12:33 am
people always the newest things are fashionable. They just do the same as whta The experts say.
August 4, 2009 at 2:55 am
i don’t think it’s only for health reasons people try to eat organic. i personally try to eat organic so i can support slightly better growers and such.
however, i generally think the “organic” label is bogus. i worked with a guy once who worked on an “organic” farm for a few years. the same people owned a non-organic farm, right next to it. he said the chemicals often “accidentally” crossed the line, and that they put the uglier fruit in the organic bin because otherwise no one would buy it.
August 4, 2009 at 7:42 am
That’s true. Health reasons are definitely not the only reason people eat organic. I didn’t mean to imply such. However, it is one particular claim that organic-eaters make. On the other hand, there is good reason to believe that supporting ‘slightly better growers’ doesn’t even happen with organic food. In that Penn and Teller episode, they point out that 20% of organic food comes from China, and that most organic food comes from one corporation.
In conclusion, healthiness isn’t the main reason people eat organic food. But that doesn’t mean the other reasons why people eat it are actually justified (but I’ll save that for a later post).
April 29, 2010 at 5:01 am
I do eat organic products b’coz of its great taste and to keep environment healthy.