Do you buy organic?

Picola1984

I've recently moved away from buying supermarket fruit and veg in favour of the local green grocers due to the decline in quality I've seen over the past year. The prices some stores charge for pathetic, lifeless veg is outstanding. An iceberg lettuce for instance used to be around 70p for a good size, now its circa £1.10 for a very small offering.

There are sometimes I will still buy from the supermarket giants when needed, but I may now choose organic.

I always shied away from organic produce in the supermarket due to the price, which according to a study called the Organic Market Report 2012 91% of Brits do too.

However in the article I am reading (Health & Fitness magazine) there is much reason to choose the organic option:

Organic fruit/veg contain up to 40% more antioxidants
Organic milk contains up to 60% more antioxidants
Organic farms have 50% more wildlife
31,000 tonnes of pesticides are sprayed onto UK crops each year

Normally I don't believe in the claims that organic is 'healthier' and never really been 'that' bothered by the pesticide issue, but I may now change my idea on the produce and see for myself the difference.

So, how many MFP people buy organic? Or is it a load of advertising crap? Have you seen a difference to your health if you have made the swap?

Over and out

ShaunMc1968

This is my job - I inspect organic and conventional farms for a living. There are certain things which people should definately buy as organic:
1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.
2: Milk - conventiol farmers have no restriction on the amount of processed compound feed given to dairy cows - in fact they do not even have to have access to pasture - this means on some dairy farms cattle never set foot in the fields. On orgnaic farms they have to have a minimum of 60% forage on a daily basis and they have to have access to pasture when weather permits. Due to the 60% forage rule most organic dairy farmers feed red clover silage which is high in protein but as a side health benefit this also generates more omega oils in the milk produced.
3: Fruit and veg if you can afford it - some conventional lettuce for example can be sprayed 10 x - sprays banned in organic production systems.
4: meat if you can afford it especially pork and chicken - if you have ever seen a broiler house containing 30 - 100,000 birds you would never buy conventional poultry again. Organic birds have to have access to pasture and the stocking densities are massively different. Also pigs in conventional intensive systems is awful - fed and live on slatted floors with a slurry pit underneath them. Organic pigs ahve to have to have access to pasture, wallows and shade - their is nothing finer than seeing an organic pig rooting around a field.
5: GM depending on your belief and morals. 90% of conventional animals feed will contain GM modified organisms. These are outrightly banned in organic production. Use will result in instant de-certification of all production enterprises in contact with the GM product including fields which the animals have been on.

Hope this helps to enlighten your decisions,
S.

yarwell

I buy organic sometimes, if it's a similar price or on offer.

My views are broadly in line with http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8174482.stm in that the differences in the foods themselves are probably marginal. I don't own the equipment necessary to check the differences in pesticide levels.

I found the approach of the organic movement to GM somewhat contradictory, where pesticides could be avoided or reduced they chose to look the other way on almost religious grounds.

CaLaurie

I've started to buy organic dairy products when able after a friend told me some pretty disgusting things about conventional milk - I'll spare you the gory details! It's pretty hard, though, to find organic fat-free cheese. I buy organic lettuce and grapes as well. I'm trying to buy organic everything when the option is available and won't mean not being able to pay the mortgage!

momtokgo

Nope. Mostly because we don't have the option here. There is no organic meat in our grocery stores, and very little fruit/veggies. Usually there are bananas, red apples, carrots and peppers. Sometimes there will be berries (but they always look terrible) or celery too.

There is organic milk sold at all our stores...for $9/jug. Not going to happen. My husband is the only one that uses cows milk, (on his cereal) The rest of us use rice/soy/almond milk (yes, I have to buy all 3) and we sometimes get organic in those, but it depends on what is in stock.

FuneralDiner

If there is an organic option, I tend to lean more towards that, but if not, no skin off my nose. It's not really a big deal to me.

taylor5877

1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.

Yeah, dose makes the poison here. Not saying it was this, but small doses of arsenic help chicks grow better.

Same thing in humans though, small doses help with insulin sensitivity. Small of course being VERY small in the case of As.

nolakris

I would say that we buy about 80% organic. I try to buy organic as much as possible, but will but conventional if I really need a specific item. I try to buy seasonal produce, that makes it easier to find organic. Meat I try to buy what is on sale and stock up the freezer. I've been buying organic eggs at the farmer's market this summer. We hit the farmer's market every weekend during the summer and buy there, then round out it out with the grocery store for anything we didn't get and for dry goods.

TheVimFuego

Yeh, when I can ... I don't obsess on it though, as long as I'm eating 'real food' over processed then that is the big step for me.

tripitena

I do when it's an option. I've been trying to stick with organic local fruits and veggies at the farmers market. I have found them to be comprable in cost particularly due to the fact they seem to stay fresh longer once I get them home. I only recently learned more about milk and am gravitating to organic there as well but it definitely costs more. Organic meats for my omni family are showing up more which puzzles me..... we are in "beef country" and cattle ranching is huge here so I dont know why there isn't more organic available.

elelat

I buy organic.

I don't think I'm over paying.

The money I save on conventional food will be later need to be used on environmental care.

porcelain_doll

This is my job - I inspect organic and conventional farms for a living. There are certain things which people should definately buy as organic:
1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.
2: Milk - conventiol farmers have no restriction on the amount of processed compound feed given to dairy cows - in fact they do not even have to have access to pasture - this means on some dairy farms cattle never set foot in the fields. On orgnaic farms they have to have a minimum of 60% forage on a daily basis and they have to have access to pasture when weather permits. Due to the 60% forage rule most organic dairy farmers feed red clover silage which is high in protein but as a side health benefit this also generates more omega oils in the milk produced.
3: Fruit and veg if you can afford it - some conventional lettuce for example can be sprayed 10 x - sprays banned in organic production systems.
4: meat if you can afford it especially pork and chicken - if you have ever seen a broiler house containing 30 - 100,000 birds you would never buy conventional poultry again. Organic birds have to have access to pasture and the stocking densities are massively different. Also pigs in conventional intensive systems is awful - fed and live on slatted floors with a slurry pit underneath them. Organic pigs ahve to have to have access to pasture, wallows and shade - their is nothing finer than seeing an organic pig rooting around a field.
5: GM depending on your belief and morals. 90% of conventional animals feed will contain GM modified organisms. These are outrightly banned in organic production. Use will result in instant de-certification of all production enterprises in contact with the GM product including fields which the animals have been on.

Hope this helps to enlighten your decisions,
S.

This was very helpful, thank you!

Bobby_Clerici

I used to but no more.
The fruits and veggies were awful but pricey. The meats seemed identical to any I could get at the market but twice as expensive.
Further, despite what most people believe, comprehensive government field testing to ensure the integrity of certified-organic crops and livestock does not occur. I have a problem with this.
I think organic is a bit of a scam.
At some point I just gave up.
Now, I just try to keep it simple: eat less - move more.
Eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Organic is not for me.
Simple.:bigsmile:

MizSaz

I buy it mostly because my bf has a hypersensitive stomach, and organic products seem to upset it less.

AliceKlaar

This is my job - I inspect organic and conventional farms for a living. There are certain things which people should definately buy as organic:
1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.
2: Milk - conventiol farmers have no restriction on the amount of processed compound feed given to dairy cows - in fact they do not even have to have access to pasture - this means on some dairy farms cattle never set foot in the fields. On orgnaic farms they have to have a minimum of 60% forage on a daily basis and they have to have access to pasture when weather permits. Due to the 60% forage rule most organic dairy farmers feed red clover silage which is high in protein but as a side health benefit this also generates more omega oils in the milk produced.
3: Fruit and veg if you can afford it - some conventional lettuce for example can be sprayed 10 x - sprays banned in organic production systems.
4: meat if you can afford it especially pork and chicken - if you have ever seen a broiler house containing 30 - 100,000 birds you would never buy conventional poultry again. Organic birds have to have access to pasture and the stocking densities are massively different. Also pigs in conventional intensive systems is awful - fed and live on slatted floors with a slurry pit underneath them. Organic pigs ahve to have to have access to pasture, wallows and shade - their is nothing finer than seeing an organic pig rooting around a field.
5: GM depending on your belief and morals. 90% of conventional animals feed will contain GM modified organisms. These are outrightly banned in organic production. Use will result in instant de-certification of all production enterprises in contact with the GM product including fields which the animals have been on.

Hope this helps to enlighten your decisions,
S.

That was a fascinating read - thank you so much. I do try to buy organic wherever possible and I'm a bit dubious of these 'studies' which claim to show no real benefits over the chemically treated alternatives so it's really good to get some hard evidence from somebody in the know.

allisonmrn

I have a great fresh fruit and vegie market about 3 miles from my house. I like to ride my bicycle over there and stock up on all the goodies... I try to buy organic, but the cost is sometimes a deterrent.

splashangel

As often as possible. Milk is ALWAYS organic. I have my own chickens for eggs. I grew an organic garden. I look for whats on sale for the most part. I buy at least one organic chicken when I grocery shop ( 1-2 a month) Because for the price it goes a long ways. There IS a taste diffrence in some things. Grass fed beef is amazing. I am finding it more and more affordable and available. So, my answer is yes, as much as I can afford. Anything else I just try to make from fresh real food. As little as possible processed.

jtakingcareofherself

This is my job - I inspect organic and conventional farms for a living. There are certain things which people should definately buy as organic:
1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.
2: Milk - conventiol farmers have no restriction on the amount of processed compound feed given to dairy cows - in fact they do not even have to have access to pasture - this means on some dairy farms cattle never set foot in the fields. On orgnaic farms they have to have a minimum of 60% forage on a daily basis and they have to have access to pasture when weather permits. Due to the 60% forage rule most organic dairy farmers feed red clover silage which is high in protein but as a side health benefit this also generates more omega oils in the milk produced.

3: Fruit and veg if you can afford it - some conventional lettuce for example can be sprayed 10 x - sprays banned in organic production systems.
4: meat if you can afford it especially pork and chicken - if you have ever seen a broiler house containing 30 - 100,000 birds you would never buy conventional poultry again. Organic birds have to have access to pasture and the stocking densities are massively different. Also pigs in conventional intensive systems is awful - fed and live on slatted floors with a slurry pit underneath them. Organic pigs ahve to have to have access to pasture, wallows and shade - their is nothing finer than seeing an organic pig rooting around a field.
5: GM depending on your belief and morals. 90% of conventional animals feed will contain GM modified organisms. These are outrightly banned in organic production. Use will result in instant de-certification of all production enterprises in contact with the GM product including fields which the animals have been on.

Hope this helps to enlighten your decisions,
S.

Thanks! This confirms the decision we've made. We buy organic, and when I first started eating it a few years ago, I lost 10 lbs just by doing the switch. I notice a huge difference in the taste of meat, especially chicken and bacon. And I try not to eat fat (butter, oil, or meat products) that are not organic as all the toxins are concentrated in fat cells.

stephyy4632

sometimes depends on price I refuse to pay double the price just for organic. I shop our farmers market as often as I can and one of my good friends owns/runs a dairy farm so we buy our milk right from them at the farm also eggs (and my girls love going because if they have baby calfs they can bottle feed them why we are there so its like an added treat of buy fresh milk and eggs). But just on a general store trip I buy what ever is cheapest

yarwell

Things like stocking density and access to pasture are not "organic" issues, but are simply welfare standards. There are several certification schemes that cover that too.

mommymeesh

Yeh, when I can ... I don't obsess on it though, as long as I'm eating 'real food' over processed then that is the big step for me.

Yes, this!

zrmac804

No, it's too expensive where I live. I do buy free-range eggs and eat mainly vegetarian meals because I don't want to abet animal cruelty

ShaunMc1968

Things like stocking density and access to pasture are not "organic" issues, but are simply welfare standards. There are several certification schemes that cover that too.

Yep, you are right most assurance schemes have set stocking densities for example RSPCA Freedom Foods allows laying hens to be stocked at 9 birds per square metre of housing - That is the Freedom Foods Standard (put 9 items of similar size to a hen in a metre square and see the amount of room they have). Organic Standards allow no more than 6 birds per square metre. Therefore,technically this is an organic issue.

ShaunMc1968

Further, despite what most people believe, comprehensive government field testing to ensure the integrity of certified-organic crops and livestock does not occur. I have a problem with this.

Simple.:bigsmile:

Who pays my wages then?

Organic Integrity is given by Certification - if you go to a farmers market and something is advertised as Organic ask to see their Organic Certifcate or ask for their Certification details. It is illegal to sell anything as Organic which is not produced on Registered Organic Land. It is a legal claim and prosecutable under Trading Standards Legislation if someone sell a product without proper Certification.

Regards,
S.

nhhartmann

This is my job - I inspect organic and conventional farms for a living. There are certain things which people should definately buy as organic:
1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.
2: Milk - conventiol farmers have no restriction on the amount of processed compound feed given to dairy cows - in fact they do not even have to have access to pasture - this means on some dairy farms cattle never set foot in the fields. On orgnaic farms they have to have a minimum of 60% forage on a daily basis and they have to have access to pasture when weather permits. Due to the 60% forage rule most organic dairy farmers feed red clover silage which is high in protein but as a side health benefit this also generates more omega oils in the milk produced.
3: Fruit and veg if you can afford it - some conventional lettuce for example can be sprayed 10 x - sprays banned in organic production systems.
4: meat if you can afford it especially pork and chicken - if you have ever seen a broiler house containing 30 - 100,000 birds you would never buy conventional poultry again. Organic birds have to have access to pasture and the stocking densities are massively different. Also pigs in conventional intensive systems is awful - fed and live on slatted floors with a slurry pit underneath them. Organic pigs ahve to have to have access to pasture, wallows and shade - their is nothing finer than seeing an organic pig rooting around a field.
5: GM depending on your belief and morals. 90% of conventional animals feed will contain GM modified organisms. These are outrightly banned in organic production. Use will result in instant de-certification of all production enterprises in contact with the GM product including fields which the animals have been on.

Hope this helps to enlighten your decisions,
S.

Thanks for this and it's good to see there are people inspecting these for a living. I have heard a lot of people comment "how do you know it's organic" and "you're just paying for a label" - so it's nice to see you are out on the front lines.

There are also lists of fruits and veg that should be organic versus those that don't necessarily need to be (like broccoli and asparagus).

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02984/Foods-You-Dont-Have-to-Buy-Organic.html
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02985/Foods-You-Should-Always-Buy-Organic.html

txlissa62

I've started buying more organic in the past year or so. It coincided with my decision to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet, and cut way back on processed foods.

I buy my eggs from the farmers market. Bonus - pretty colors, and the yolks are incredibly rich. I can definitely tell a difference. I've recently been buying bacon there, too. It's incredibly lean and tastes so much better! Plus it doesn't have nitrates added. I buy almost all my veggies there, too, and have gotten to know the people who grow them, which I really enjoy.

For the rest of my produce and meat, I buy organic whenever possible. Lately I've been buying grass-fed beef, and really love it. It's better for us, much leaner, and really tasty. The chicken I buy is raised in humane situations (no overcrowding), 100% vegetarian fed and no antibiotics or hormones added, but is not certified organic. Our local Fresh Market frequently has it on sale for $2.99/lb, so I stock up.

A while back, my husband was looking for a snack. He opened the pantry door and said, "There is no food here - only ingredients." (He was joking - he eats even healthier than I do.)

ZeroWoIf

I am not honestly concerned with organic food. With that said, there are many products out there that are attractive to me based on what is inside of them. WIth that said, I find that those products contain less crap than the rest of the products that I see. Such as organic/whole meal pasta for example. Or pasta sauce made from tomato sauce with low levels of sodium.

alladream

YES, always when I can get it. I want to support farmers that do not use the chemicals that are killing us and the plants etc. off and making us weird and fat and unhealthy.

Hezzietiger1

I buy organic milk because it lasts about 2-3 weeks longer in my refrigerator. I also buy organic fruit if the fruit does not need to be peeled. If it needs to be peeled, like bananas, I don't worry about it. I know I should buy organic chicken-but my dad is in upper management at a Tyson plant and so we get gigantic discounts and I pay about 10% of what you do for my chicken. So I stick with the regular stuff and pretend like I don't know anything about it. Veggies I tend to buy frozen.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

This is my job - I inspect organic and conventional farms for a living. There are certain things which people should definately buy as organic:
1: Eggs - conventional and free range egg farmers use chemicals in the feeds called Synthatic Amino Acids - some of these are banned in the human food chain as they are carcinogens (can cause cancer) - ironically they can be used in monogastric (single stomach) animal feeds. These chemicals are banned from organic animal feeds.
2: Milk - conventiol farmers have no restriction on the amount of processed compound feed given to dairy cows - in fact they do not even have to have access to pasture - this means on some dairy farms cattle never set foot in the fields. On orgnaic farms they have to have a minimum of 60% forage on a daily basis and they have to have access to pasture when weather permits. Due to the 60% forage rule most organic dairy farmers feed red clover silage which is high in protein but as a side health benefit this also generates more omega oils in the milk produced.
3: Fruit and veg if you can afford it - some conventional lettuce for example can be sprayed 10 x - sprays banned in organic production systems.
4: meat if you can afford it especially pork and chicken - if you have ever seen a broiler house containing 30 - 100,000 birds you would never buy conventional poultry again. Organic birds have to have access to pasture and the stocking densities are massively different. Also pigs in conventional intensive systems is awful - fed and live on slatted floors with a slurry pit underneath them. Organic pigs ahve to have to have access to pasture, wallows and shade - their is nothing finer than seeing an organic pig rooting around a field.
5: GM depending on your belief and morals. 90% of conventional animals feed will contain GM modified organisms. These are outrightly banned in organic production. Use will result in instant de-certification of all production enterprises in contact with the GM product including fields which the animals have been on.

Hope this helps to enlighten your decisions,
S.

Wonderful post--thanks so much OP for asking and for you S. for this answer/reply!


YES! I buy just about everything I eat organic...it's expensive as all get out though to do so (but I look at it as helping the organic farmers/businesses as well as myself and my family) and many times the foods listed here on the MFP food diary data-base doesn't always have "organic" option listed (and I'm sometimes too lazy to enter the organic food myself--like the cantaloupe I had yesterday), but I try to eat exclusively organic foods and wild American (sometimes Canadian) caught fish and also only eat poll and troll caught tuna too .

Sometimes I do wonder though, companies like various fruits/veggies that regularly sell non-organic foods, have organic foods too....sometimes I wonder--is that food REALLY organic--how could we REALLY know for sure.

ZeroWoIf

I buy organic milk because it lasts about 2-3 weeks longer in my refrigerator. I also buy organic fruit if the fruit does not need to be peeled. If it needs to be peeled, like bananas, I don't worry about it. I know I should buy organic chicken-but my dad is in upper management at a Tyson plant and so we get gigantic discounts and I pay about 10% of what you do for my chicken. So I stick with the regular stuff and pretend like I don't know anything about it. Veggies I tend to buy frozen.

Are referring to organic soy milk? You usual Dairy milk that comes from cows usually goes through a similar pasteurization process. I'm surprised that such milk can last in my refrigerator for any longer than 2 weeks usually.