Organic? Genetically modified food?

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domeofstars
domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
edited February 2017 in Food and Nutrition
Are you happy to pay more for organic food?
Do you avoid foods that are genetically modified?
Why?

I'm not in the US, and I found a place that sold imported American foods. I was amazed at how many foods had genetically modified ingredients in them. I have family in the US and they pretty much buy organic all the time but they are rich...
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Replies

  • Tum22
    Tum22 Posts: 102 Member
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    Sometimes at Aldi I will buy organic brocholi, carrots, apples if they aren't too expensive.

    I have thought about buying organic chicken breasts from waitrose but they were £13.00 per kg as oppose to £3.33 for non-organic.

    I always give my children organic pasta because it's not that expensive and I have heard on you tube that genetically modified can be indigestible and is a foreign substance, unrecognisable to the body.

    I also buy organic milk at times for my children because they say it doesn't have growth hormones which could be toxic??

    I always buy organic oats because I eat them most days and they are still a cheap breakfast.

    If I was rich I would buy all organic just to be on the safe side and because of environmental concerns.
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
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    I buy whichever is cheapest when I'm at the store, GMO or organic.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
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    domeofstars wrote: »

    Are you happy to pay more for organic food?
    Do you avoid foods that are genetically modified?
    Why?

    - No, I don't buy organic food (unless it's cheaper than the alternative)
    - Nope
    - Because I'm not afraid of foods that have been modified

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Doesn't bother me, except I agree that the chicken is better. That is the only thing I buy organic.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Oh no you didn't!

    1) The definition of "organic" is arbitrary.


    One point is that the definition of organic is arbitrary; however, it has to meet certain standards (https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/labeling) to be labeled as USDA organic.
  • bentridersteve
    bentridersteve Posts: 2 Member
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    Just remember just because it is "organic" doesn't mean there are no pesticides used. Organic pesticides can be more toxic. In a broad sense everything that we eat is a "GMO". Kale, Broccoli, and Cauliflower are a man made product created by using radiation in the past. These are "buzzwords" created to sell some products at a higher cost. "Organic, GMO free, and Gluten free" is the market tool of this generation, not unlike the "Fat Free" of the past. Penn and Teller had a great program on Organic that is fun to watch. Their series is called B___S___" and it is a fun watch.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    annacole94 wrote: »
    I prefer local to organic where possible. Sometimes I buy organic, but only if the price point is close to conventional. I don't care if food is GMO; I prefer it, in fact, if it decreases chemical requirements while growing. For meat, I prefer wild, but also just buy what Costco wants to sell me.

    Agree-I love supporting local farms and businesses whenever possible :)
  • domeofstars
    domeofstars Posts: 480 Member
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    jruck371 wrote: »
    domeofstars wrote: »
    Are you happy to pay more for organic food?
    Do you avoid foods that are genetically modified?
    Why?

    I'm not in the US, and I found a place that sold imported American foods. I was amazed at how many foods had genetically modified ingredients in them. I have family in the US and they pretty much buy organic all the time but they are rich...

    We actively avoid Organic and "Non GMO" foods in our household (opposite of a lot of people.. I know). One reason for this is the fear mongering and non scientific community attacking scientists who come out in defense of non organic food. Organic and non GMO is a marketing ploy (the organic industry is worth 4 billion in the US annually), and does not denote a product is healthier.

    https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2012/09/little-evidence-of-health-benefits-from-organic-foods-study-finds.html

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-than-conventionally-grown-food-201209055264

    http://www.businessinsider.com/economist-organic-foods-just-marketing-2012-9

    Also- humans have literally been modifying food since we figured out we could do so thousands of years ago. Ever ate an almond? You can thank your ancestors for taking a poisonous plant and breeding the arsenic down for safe levels of consumption for that tasty nut.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond

    https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/10/10/non-gmo-month-marketing-ploy-grounded-misinformation/

    One of the biggest reasons we don't support the organic industry though is our personal beliefs and morals. Farming organic takes up more space then conventional farming. With a growing global population we already cant feed, supporting the growth of an industry that restricts the amount of food we can grow and wants to disband research into new crop techniques that could help grow crops in areas with less water (ie during drought), have resistance to bugs (less pesticide), and more nutrients (golden rice is a prime example of this). We don't feel right giving our money to these companies.

    Thank you for all of this interesting info.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Tum22 wrote: »
    Sometimes at Aldi I will buy organic brocholi, carrots, apples if they aren't too expensive.

    I have thought about buying organic chicken breasts from waitrose but they were £13.00 per kg as oppose to £3.33 for non-organic.

    I always give my children organic pasta because it's not that expensive and I have heard on you tube that genetically modified can be indigestible and is a foreign substance, unrecognisable to the body.

    I also buy organic milk at times for my children because they say it doesn't have growth hormones which could be toxic??

    I always buy organic oats because I eat them most days and they are still a cheap breakfast.

    If I was rich I would buy all organic just to be on the safe side and because of environmental concerns.

    Youtube isn't the best place to get legitimate information....
    To be perfectly honest, youtube has better info than the MFP forums.
    On youtube, there are great presentations from many fantastic doctors, but also a lot of BS personal opinions and industry sponsored crap masquerading as personal opinion.

    Here on MFP, i have rarely seen the former.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
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    jasonp_ritzert wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Oh no you didn't!

    1) The definition of "organic" is arbitrary.


    One point is that the definition of organic is arbitrary; however, it has to meet certain standards (https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/labeling) to be labeled as USDA organic.

    Those are the arbitrary guidelines of which I speak! They allow perfectly revolting "organic" prepared foods, for example.

    I do love local produce, although we got some very buggy vegetables in our farm share a couple of times.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    I only buy organic when no other choice is available and have never bought a product specifically because it says 'Non-GMO'.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    edited February 2017
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    annacole94 wrote: »
    I prefer local to organic where possible. Sometimes I buy organic, but only if the price point is close to conventional. I don't care if food is GMO; I prefer it, in fact, if it decreases chemical requirements while growing. For meat, I prefer wild, but also just buy what Costco wants to sell me.

    Unfortunately, some foods are genetically modified so that they can resist the pesticides or herbicides that are being poured on the crops. Corn and soy, for instance, have been modified so that they are resistant (or more resistant) to Roundup.

    So, it's not necessarily the genetic modification that is harmful, but the secondary effect (ability to spray more pesticide/herbicide) that makes some GMOs worse for your health.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I buy whatever is at Costco. They happen to have a lot of organic stuff for which there isn't a non-organic alternative...but the price is right so I don't care. For example, they only sell organic spring mix for my salad...it's cheaper than buying the same quantity non-organic at my grocery store...same for my eggs and a host of other things.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
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    My house buys organic free range eggs, because the welfare standards for Soil Association certification are higher than plain free range.

    We also get organic milk, because I am concerned about overuse of preventative antibiotics in conventional lifestock farming contributing to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

    For vegetables and fruit, my biggest concerns are food miles, and fair-trade agreements with growers.

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