Health and lifestyle
Taking the organic option
With sales of organic baby food soaring, the Soil Association looks at why its the best option for health conscious parents
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Sales of orga nic babyfood are continuing to soar. Nowadays, nearly half of all babyfood sold is organic. As a health-conscious parent, you may already be feeding your children with organic food. If not, you may be wondering what on earth all the fuss is about.
So why is organic food better for our children?
It’s healthy |
Organic food is grown without relying on synthetic chemicals. Organic farmers use natural methods of building soil fertility – such as rotating their crops and applying compost. A number of studies show that, on average, organic food is higher in vitamin C, has higher levels of minerals and cancer-fighting compounds (phytonutrients). Moreover, organic milk is naturally higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) and certain other antioxidants than non-organic milk.
No nasties
But it’s not just what organic food does contain, it’s also what it doesn’t that is important. Organic farmers rely on natural methods of pest control. And so the best way of reducing you and your children’s exposure to potentially harmful pesticides is to eat organicallygrown food, where their use is avoided. Over 440 pesticides can be routinely used in non-organic farming and residues are often present in non-organic food. In fact, over 40% of all non-organic fruit, vegetables and bread tested in 2005 contained pesticides, according to the government’s Pesticide Residues Committee.
Babies are at risk from toxins because of the immaturity of their organs. The nervous, circulatory and reproductive systems are all developing fast so it’s vital that alien chemicals don’t disrupt them during the growth phase. And because their diet is often restricted to just a few types of less processed food, for example apples, potatoes and carrots, they may receive higher exposures.
Furthermore, only 32 of the 290 food additives approved for use across the EU are permitted in organic food. Among the additives banned by the Soil Association are hydrogenated fat, aspartame (an artificial sweetener) and monosodium glutamate – all of which have been linked to health problems.
A study by Liverpool University in March 2006 showed that when nerve cells were exposed to monosodium glutamate and brilliant blue or aspartame and quinoline yellow, the additives stopped normal growth and interfered with proper signalling systems. These mixtures of additives, which are commonly found in children’s food and snacks, had a much more potent effect on nerve cells than each additive on its own. All of these are banned under organic standards.
A flavour to savour
Is your child a fussy eater? Organic fruit and vegetables tend to grow more slowly and have a lower water content than non-organic foods, which may contribute to the fuller flavour. Evidence shows that when schools have served fresh organic and local food, uptake rates have soared.
GM-free
Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards. Over a million tonnes of GM crops are imported to feed non-organic livestock. These animals then go on to produce most of the non-organic beef, pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products on sale in our supermarkets. Worryingly, the safety of this material has not been thoroughly tested.
Reliance on drugs removed
The Soil Association bans the routine use of antibiotics in farm animals. The standards also ensure that there are no antibiotics in meat or milk. Antibiotic additives are routinely added to non-organic animal feed to speed their growth. This practice is linked with bacterial resistance in humans to the same or closely related antibiotics.
No hidden costs
Organic farming doesn’t burden the environment with problems such as pesticides in our drinking water.
High standards
All organic farms and food companies are inspected at least once a year. The standards for organic food are laid down in European law.
Care for animals
No system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards than organic farms working to Soil Association standards.
Good for wildlife and the environment
Overall, organic farming supports more farmland wildlife than non-organic farming. And not only that, it produces much less of the main global warming gases.
Eating our way to save the planet?
As the next generation grow up in a world where the effects of climate change will really begin to take hold, could eating organic food be key to saving the planet? Farming is a major source of emissions (carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide and methane) which are responsible for global warming. But the type of farming has a huge impact on the amount of emissions produced.
By eating organic food, you can rest assured that its production hasn’t added to global warming in the same way that non- organic has.
Here’s how…
Most non-organic farms rely upon artificial fertilisers. These add to global warming in several ways:
- manufacturing the artificial fertiliser releases nitrous oxide – which is 300 times more warming than carbon dioxide.
- Adding artificial fertilisers to the land also releases nitrous oxide.
- Artificial fertilisers make the soil more acidic, so farmers add lime to counter-balance this. This produces carbon dioxide.
- Artificial fertilisers suppress biological life within the soil. We need this life because it helps to prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere. Conversely, organic farming actively encourages life within the soil, which reduces emissions.
The good news
- Organic farmers use clover to add nitrogen naturally to the soil. A recent UK study found organic farms can reduce energy use in producing food. For example 38% less energy is used in producing milk and 39% less for bread wheat.
- Less energy used to grow food means that there are fewer green house gases created through using fossil fuels.
More for less
Organic food doesn’t have to be beyond your budget. All you need to do is to make a few changes to the way you shop and cook and you could be in for a surprise.
Sign up to a local vegetable box scheme delivery service
The idea is that you get a box of fresh seasonal organic vegetables and/or fruit delivered to your door for a set price. What could be simpler? And organic veggie boxes can cost the same as buying non-organic food in the supermarket.
Call 011 79142444 or log on to www.whyorganic.org to find your local scheme.
Shop at farmers’ markets
Buying food from a buzzing market is great fun. Meeting the farmer means you can ask questions about how the food was grown and get advice on the best way to cook it. Call 0125 787914 or log on to www.farma.org.uk to find your local farmers’ market.
Plan and cook ahead
One organic chicken and £6 of other ingredients can provide four good family meals: one Sunday lunch, one Tuesday supper and two meals for the freezer. This is for two hours work – or four hours if your kids are helping!
And get into the habit of cooking batches from scratch – processed food can be convenient, but it’s not cheap and this way, you will have nutritious meals for less.
Eat meat in moderation
Save eating meat for what it should be – a delicious treat and make sure it is organic. Eating meat in moderation will help you save money too.
Eat cheaper cuts of meat
Try to buy chicken thighs, for example, instead of fillets. The fore end of animals tends to be cheaper and can be very tasty when it is cooked slowly.
Get involved
Set up or get involved in a Soil Association buying group – people who regularly buy organic food together. For more information, please call 0117 9142425.
Feeding your family organic food helps ensure that they get a healthy start in life. It could also be the most positive, enjoyable step to take in contributing to a better place to live. Who said saving the world was all about going without?
For more information, visit:
www.soilassociation.org
www.whyorganic.org
